3  1822  01224  6708 


LIBRARY 

UNIVtRSITY  OF 


SAN  D1600 


3  1822  01224  6708 

"EVACUATION  DAY;' 

1783, 


Sergeant  Van  Arsdale  Tearing  Down  tfie  British  Flag. 
WITH  RECOLLECTIONS  OF 

CAPT.  JOHN  VAN  ARSDALE. 

OF  THE  VETERAN  CORPS  OF  ARTILLERY, 


BY  JAMES    RIKER. 


~-E  5O  CENTS. 


[    LIBRA,, 

VMfftusm  of 

CAUKMNIA 
IAMMC90 


-          THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY  - 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SAN  D1EGQ 
LA  JOLLA,  CALIFORNIA 

EVACUATION  DAY;' 


1783, 

ITS 


MANY  STIRRING  EVENTS: 


WITH 


RECOLLECTIONS 

OF 

CAPT.  JOHN  VAN  ARSDALE. 

OF  THE  VETERAN  CORPS  OF  ARTILLERY, 

BY     WHOSE     EFFORTS     ON     THAT     DAY 

THE  ENEMY  WEr\E  CIRCUMVENTED, 

AND 

THE  AMERICAN  FLAG  SUCCESSFULLY  RAISED  Of(THE  BATTERY, 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIVE  NOTES. 


BY 

JAMES 


Author  of  the  Annnls  of  Ncwtown,  and  History  of  Harlem  ;  Life  Member  of  the 
New  York  Historical  Society,  Etc. 


PRINTED  FOB  THE  AUTHOR. 
NEW  YORK 

1883. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1883,  by 

JAMES  BIKER, 
In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


CRICHTON  &  CO., 
PRIHTKIW, 

ulton  St.,  N.  T. 


e: 


#57 


EVACUATION  DAY. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

UR  MEMORABLE  REVOLUTION,  so  prolific  of  grand 
and  glorious  themes,  presents  none  more  thrilling  than  is 
afforded  by  the  closing  scene  in  that  stupendous  struggle 
which  gave  birth  to  our  free  and  noble  Republic.  New  York 
City  will  have  the  -honor  of  celebrating,  on  the  25th  of  November, 
the  hundredth  anniversary  of  this  event,  the  most  signal  in  its 
history  ;  and  which  will  add  the  last  golden  link  to  the  chain  of 
Revolutionary  Centennials.  A  century  ago,  on  "Evacuation 
Day,"  so  called  in  our  local  calendar,  the  wrecks  of  those  proud 
armies, — sent  hither  by  the  mother  country  to  enforce  her  darling 
scheme  of  "taxation  without  representation," — withdrew  from 
our  war-scarred  city,  with  the  honors  of  defeat  thick  upon  them, 
but  leaving  our  patriotic  fathers  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of  their 
independence,  so  gloriously  won  in  a  seven  years'  conflict. 

With  the  expiring  century  has  also  disappeared  the  host  of 
brave  actors  in  that  eventful  drama !  Memory,  if  responsive,  may 
bring  up  the  venerable  forms  of  the  "  Old  Seventy  Sixers,"  as 
they  still  lingered  among  us  two  score  years  ago  ;  and  perchance 
recall  with  what  soul-stirring  pathos  they  oft  rehearsed  "the 
times  that  tried  men's  souls."  But  they  have  fallen,  fallen  before 
the  last  great  enemy,  till  not  one  is  left  to  repeat  the  story  of  their 
campaigns,  their  sufferings,  or  their  triumphs.  But  shall  their 
memories  perish,  or  their  glorious  deeds  pg,ss  into  oblivion  ? 
Heaven  forbid  !  Rather  let  us  treasure  them  in  our  heart  of 
hearts,  and  speak  their  praises  to  our  children  ;  thus  may  we  keep 
unimpaired  our  love  of  country,  and  kindle  the  patriotism  of  those 
who  come  after  us.  To-day  they  shall  live  again,  in  the  event 
we  celebrate.  And  what  event  can  more  strongly  appeal  to  the 
popular  gratitude  than  that  which  brought  our  city  a  happy  de- 
liverance from  a  foreign  power,  gave  welcome  relief  to  our  patriot 
sires,  who  had  fought  for  their  country  or  suffered  exile,  and 
marked  the  close  of  a  struggle  which  conferred  the  priceless 
blessings  of  peace  and  liberty,  and  a  government  which  knows  no 
sovereign  but  the  people  only.  Our  aim  shall  be,  not  so  much 
to  impress  the  reader  with  the  moral  grandeur  of  that  day,  or 
with  its  historic  significance  as  bearing  upon  the  subsequent 
growth  and  prosperity  of  our  great  metropolis  ;  but  the  rather  to 


present  a  popular  account  of  what  occurred  at  or  in  connection 
with  the  evacuation  ;  and  also  to  satisfy  a  curiosity  often  expressed 
to  know  something  more  of  a  former  citizen,  much  esteemed  in 
his  time,  whose  name,  from  an  incident  which  then  took  place,  is 
inseparably  associated  with  the  scenes  of  Evacuation  Day. 

At  the  period  referred  to,  a  century  ago,  the  City  of  New  York 
contained  a  population  of  less  than  twenty  thousand  souls,  who 
mostly  resided  below  Wall  Street,  above  which  the  city  was  not 
compactly  built ;  while  northward  of  the  City  Hall  Park,  then 
known  as  the  Fields,  the  Commons,  or  the  Green,  were  little  more 
than  scattered  farm  houses  and  rural  seats.  The  seven  years' 
occupation  by  the  enemy  had  reduced  the  town  to  a  most  abject 
condition  ;  many  of  the  church  edifices  having  been  desecrated 
and  applied  to  profane  uses  ;  the  dwellings,  which  their  owners 
had  vacated  on  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  being  occupied  by  the 
refugee  loyalists,  and  officers  and  attaches  of  the  British  army, 
were  despoiled  and  delapidated ;  while  a  large  area  of  the  City, 
ravaged  by  fires,  still  lay  in  ruins  ! 

The  news  of  peace  with  Great  Britain,  which  was  officially  pub- 
lished at  New  York  on  April  8th,  1783,  was  hailed  with  delight  by 
every  friend  of  his  countrv.  But  it  spread  consternation  and  dis- 
may among  the  loyalists.  Its  effects  upon  the  latter  class,  and 
the  scenes  which  ensued,  beggar  all  description.  The  receipt  of 
death  warrants  could  hardly  have  been  more  appalling.  Some  of 
these  who  had  zealously  taken  up  commissions  in  the  king's  service, 
amid  the  excitement  of  the  hour  tore  the  lapels  from  their  coats 
and  stamped  them  under  foot,  crying  out  that  they  were  ruined 
forever  !  Others,  in  like  despair,  uttered  doleful  complaints,  that 
after  sacrificing  their  all,  to  prove  their  loyalty,  they  should  now 
be  left  to  shift  for  themselves,  with  nothing  to  hope  for,  either 
from  king  or  country.  In  the  day  of  their  power  these  had  as- 
sumed the  most  insolent  bearing  towards  their  fellow-citizens  who 
were  suspected  of  sympathy  for  their  suffering  country ;  while 
those  thrown  among  them  as  prisoners  of  war,  met  their  studied 
scorn  and  abuse,  and  were  usually  accosted,  with  the  more  popu- 
lar than  elegant  epithet,  of  "damned  rebel !  "  The  tables  were 
now  turned  ;  all  this  injustice  and  cruelty  stared  them  in  the  face, 
and,  to  their  excited  imaginations,  clothed  with  countless  terrors 
that  coming  day,  when,  their  protectors  being  gone,  they  could 
expect  naught  but  a  dreadful  retribution  !  Under  such  circum- 
stances, Sir  Guy  Carleton,  the  English  commander  at  New  York, 
was  in  honor  bound  not  to  give  up  the  City  till  he  had  provided 
the  means  of  conveying  away  to  places  within  the  British  posses- 
sions, all  those  who  should  decide  to  quit  the  country.  It  was 
not  pure  humanity,  but  shrewd  policy  as  well,  for  the  king,  by 
his  agents,  thus  to  promote  the  settlement  of  portions  of  his 


dominions  which  were  cold,  barren,  uninviting,  and  but  sparsely 
populated. 

By  the  cessation  of  hostilities  the  barriers  to  commercial  inter- 
course  between  the  City  and  other  parts  of  the  State,  &c.,  were 
removed,  and  the  navigation  of  the  Hudson,  the  Sound,  and  con- 
nected waters  was  resumed  as  before  the  war.  Packets  brought 
in  the  produce  of  the  country,  and  left  laden  with  commodities 
suited  to  the  needs  of  the  rural  population,  or  with  the  British 
gold  in  their  purses ;  for  all  the  staples  of  food,  as  flour,  beef, 
pork  and  butter,  were  in  great  demand,  to  victual  the  many  fleets 
preparing  to  sail,  freighted  with  troops,  or  with  loyalists.  The 
country  people  in  the  vicinity  also  flocked  to  the  public  markets, 
bringing  all  kinds  of  provisions,  which  they  readily  sold  at  mode- 
rate rates  for  hard  cash  ;  and  thus  the  adjacent  country  was 
supplied  and  enriched  with  specie.  The  fall  in  prices,  which 
during  the  war  had  risen  eight  hundred  per  cent,  brought  a  most 
grateful  relief  to  the  consumers.  Simultaneously  with  these 
tokens  of  better  days,  the  order  for  the  release  of  all  the  prisoners 
of  war  from  the  New  York  prisons  and  prisonships,  with  their 
actual  liberation  from  their  gloomy  cells,  came  as  a  touching  re- 
minder that  the  horrors  of  war  were  at  an  end. 

Many  of  the  old  citizens  who  had  fled,  on  or  prior  to  the 
invasion  of  the  City  by  the  British,  and  had  purchased  homes  in 
the  country,  now  prepared  to  return,  by  selling  or  disposing  of 
these  places,  expecting  upon  reaching  New  York  to  re-occupy 
their  old  dwellings,  without  let  or  hindrance,  but  on  arriving  here 
were  utterly  astonished  at  being  debarred  their  own  houses  ;  the 
commandant,  General  Birch,  holding  the  keys  of  all  dwellings 
vacated  by  persons  leaving,  and  only  suffering  the  owners  to  enter 
their  premises  as  tenants,  and  upon  their  paying  him  down  a 
quarter's  rent  in  advance  !  Such  apparent  injustice  determined 
many  not  to  come  before  the  time  set  for  the  evacuation  of  the 
City,  while  many  others  were  kept  back  through  fear  of  the 
loyalists,  whose  rage  and  vindictiveness  were  justly  to  be  dreaded. 
Hence,  though  our  people  were  allowed  free  ingress  and  egress 
to  and  from  the  City,  upon  their  obtaining  a  British  pass  for  that 
purpose,  yet  but  few,  comparatively,  ventured  to  bring  their 
families  or  remain  permanently  till  they  could  make  their  entry 
with,  or  under  the  protection  of,  the  American  forces. 

Ntver  perhaps  in  the  history  of  our  City  had  there  been  a 
corresponding  period  of  such  incessant  activity  and  feverish 
excitement.  Stimulated  by  their  fears,  the  loyalist  families 
began  arrangements  in  early  spring  for  their  departure  from  the 
laud  of  their  birth  (indeed  a  company  of  six  hundred,  including 
women  and  children,  had  already  gone  the  preceding  fall) 
destined  mainly  for  Port  Roseway,  in  Nova  Scotia,  where  they 


ultimately  formed  their  principal  settlement,  and  built  the  large 
town  of  Shelburne.  Those  intending  to  remove  were  required  to 
enter  their  name,  the  number  in  their  family,  &c.,  at  the 
Adjutant-General's  Office,  that  due  provision  might  be  made  for 
their  passage.  They  flocked  into  the  City  in  such  numbers  from 
within  the  British  lines  (and  many  from  within  our  lines  also) 
that  often  during  that  season  there  were  not  houses  enough  to 
shelter  them.  Many  occupied  huts  made  by  stretching  canvass 
from  the  ruined  walls  of  the  burnt  districts.  They  banded 
together  for  removing,  and  had  their  respective  headquarters, 
where  they  met  to  discuss  and  arrange  their  plans.  The  first 
considerable  company,  some  five  thousand,  sailed  on  April  27th, 
and  larger  companies  soon  followed.  Many  held  back,  hoping 
for  some  act  of  grace  on  the  part  of  our  Legislature  which  would 
allow  them  to  stay.  But  the  public  sentiment  being  opposed  to 
it,  and  expressed  in  terms  too  strong  to  be  disregarded,  these  at 
last  had  to  yield  to  necessity,  and  find  new  homes.  The  mass  of 
the  loyalists  went  to  Nova  Scotia  and  Canada ;  others  to  the 
Island  of  Abaco,  in  the  Bahamas  ;  while  not  a  few  of  the  more 
distinguished  or  wealthy  retired  to  England.  The  bitterness  felt 
towards  this  class  was  to  be  deplored,  but,  in  truth,  the  active 
part  taken  by  many  of  them  during  the  war  against  their  country, 
and  above  all  the  untold  outrages  committed  upon  defenceless 
inhabitants  by  tories  (the  zealous  and  active  loyalists),  often  in 
league  with  Indians,  had  kindled  a  resentment  towards  all 
loyalists  alike  that  stifled  every  philanthropbic  feeling.  This 
exodus  was  going  on  when  General  Carleton,  about  the  beginning 
of  August,  received  his  final  orders  for  the  evacuation  of  the 
City ;  but  it  took  nearly  four  months  more  to  complete  it,  as  a 
large  number  of  vessels  were  required  to  transport  the  immense 
crowds  of  refugees  who  left  with  their  families  and  effects  during 
that  brief  period.  Hundreds  of  slaves  (ours  being  then  a  slave 
State)  were  also  induced  to  go  to  Novy  Koshee,  as  they  called  it. 
Their  masters  could  do  little  to  hinder  it,  though  a  committee 
appointed  by  both  governments  to  superintend  all  embarkations 
did  something  towards  preventing  slaves  and  other  property  be- 
longing to  our  people  from  being  earned  away.  Such  negroes  as 
had  been  found  in  a  state  of  freedom,  General  Carleton  held, 
ha.i  a  right  to  leave  if  they  chose  to  do  so,  and  many  probably 
got  away  under  this  pretext ;  but  to  provide  against  mistakes  the 
name  of  each  negro  (with  that  of  his  former  owner)  was  registered, 
and  also  such  facts  as  would  fix  his  value,  in  case  compensation  were 
allowed.  In  this,  as  in  the  whole  ordering  of  the  evacuation, 
which  was  more  than  the  work  of  a  day,  General  Carleton  must 
have  credit  for  humanity  and  a  disposition  to  pursue  a  fair  and 
honorable  course,  which,  under  the  extraordinary  difficulties  of 


the  situation,  required  rare  tact  and  discretion.  Of  course  he 
was  blamed  for  much  when  he  was  not  responsible  (natural 
enough  in  those  who  suffered  grievances),  and  especially  for  the 
great  delay  in  giving  up  the  City,  which  TJore  hard  on  virtuous 
citizens  who  had  sacrificed  opulence  and  ease  at  the  shrine  of 
liberty,  and  had  now  thrown  themselves  out  of  homes  and  busi- 
ness in  the  expectation  of  an  early  return  to  the  City.  Yet 
Carleton's  fidelity  to  the  various  trusts  committed  to  him,  making 
one  delay  after  another  unavoidable,  it  may  be  doubted  whether 
he  could  have  surrendered  the  City  at  an  earlier  date. 

Closing  up  the  affairs  of  the  army  was  truly  a  Herculean  task. 
The  shipment  of  the  troops  began  early  in  the  season.  A  portion 
of  the  army  was  disbanded  to  reduce  it  to  a  peace  establishment 
pursuant  to  orders  from  England.  Then  there  was  the  settle- 
ment of  innumerable  accounts,  pertaining  to  every  department, 
and  the  sale  and  disposal  of  surplus  army  property,  as  horses, 
wagons,  harness  and  military  stores,  with  several  thousand  cords 
of  fire  wood,  which  was  sold  off  at  half  its  cost.  Eve*n  the 
prisonships  were  set  up  at  auction.  A  sale  of  draft  horses  was 
begun,  October  2d,  at  the  Artillery  Stables  near  St.  Paul's  church- 

Auctions  on  private  account  were  rife ;  daily,  in  every  street, 
the  red  flag  was  seen  hanging  out.  And  it  was  alleged  that  a  great 
deal  of  furniture  was  sold  to  which  the  venders  had  no  good  title ; 
much  of  it  being  newly  painted  or  otherwise  disguised,  that  its 
proper  owner  might  never  know  and  reclaim  it  !  We  need  not 
doubt  it,  for  it  seemed  as  if  the  refugees  would  strip  the  City  of 
every  portable  article,  even  to  the  buildings,  or  the  brick  and 
lumber  composing  them  ;  insomuch  that  the  authorities,  in  formal 
orders,  forbade  the  removal  or  demolition  of  any  house  till  the 
right  to  do  so  was  shown. 

These  irregularities,  with  the  brag  and  bluster  of  the  enraged 
tories,  was  enough  to  keep  society  in  a  broil.  The  uppermost 
themes  were  the  evacuation,  and  the  removal  to  Nova  Scotia,  or 
elsewhere.  They  were  irritating  topics,  and  gave  rise  to  endless 
and  hot  discussions,  in  which  tory  vexed  tory.  While  one  main- 
tained that  Nova  Scotia  was  a  very  Paradise,  another  denounced 
it  as  unfit  for  human  beings  to  inhabit.  Disappointed  and  cha- 
grined at  the  issue  of  the  war,  they  would  curse  the  powers  to 
whom  they  owed  allegiance ;  as  rebellious  as  those  they  called 
rebels.  In  other  cases,  the  turn  the  war  had  taken  had  a  magic 
effect  upon  their  principles  ;  once  avowed  loyalists,  they  suddenly 
became  zealous  patriots  !  It  was  a  witty  reply  given  by  a  tai- 
lor,— the  tailor,  in  the  olden  time,  we  must  premise,  was  often 
applied  to,  to  rip  up  and  turn  a  coat,  when  threadbare  or  faded. 
"  How  does  business  go  on  ?  "  asked  a  friend.  "  Not  very  well," 
said  he,  "  my  customers  have  all  learned  to  turn  their  own  coats  !" 


8 


The  shrewd  whigs  were  not  to  be  deceived  by  these  sudden  con- 
versions. They  drew  the  line  nicely  at  a  meeting  held  on  Nov. 
18th,  at  Cape's  Tavern,  in  Broadway,  (site  of  the  Boreel  Build- 
ing), to  arrange  plau#for  evacuation  day.  Before  touching  their 
business,  they  "  Resolved.  That  every  person,  whatever  his  poli- 
tical character  may  be,  who  hath  remained  in  this  City  during  the 
late  contest,  be  requested  to  leave  the  room  forthwith. " 

Society  could  not  be  very  secure,  when,  as  is  stated,  scarcely  a 
night  passed  without  a  robbery  ;  scarcely  a  morning  came,  but 
corpses  were  found  upon  the  streets,  the  work  of  the  assassin  or 
midnight  revel.  Indeed  at  this  juncture,  there  was  much  under- 
lying apprehension  in  the  minds  of  good  citizens ;  the  situation 
was  unprecedented,  men's  passions  had  been  wrought  up  to  a 
fearful  pitch,  and  who  could  foresee  the  outcome  !  Sensible  of 
the  danger,  and  with  the  approval  of  the  commandant,  a  large 
number  of  citizens  lately  returned  from  exile,  organized  as  a 
guard  and  patrolled  the  streets,  on  the  night  preceding  evacua- 
tion day.  The  vigilance  of  these  returned  patriots,  and  the  pro- 
tection it  afforded,  added  greatly  to  the  public  security  at  this 
threatening  crisis. 

A  word  as  to  the  aspect  of  the  City ;  sanitary  rules  being  sus- 
pended, the  public  streets  were  in  a  most  filthy  condition.  All 
the  churches,  except  the  Episcopal,  the  Methodist,  and  the  Lu- 
theran (spared  to  please  the  Hessians),  had  been  converted  into 
hospitals,  prisons,  barracks,  riding-schools,  or  storehouses  ;  the 
pews,  and  in  some  the  galleries,  torn  out,  the  window-lights 
broken,  and  all  foul  and  loathesome.  Fences  enclosing  the 
churches  and  cemeteries  had  disappeared,  and  the  very  graves 
and  tombs  lay  hidden  by  rubbish  and  filth  !  No  public  moneyed 
or  charitable  institutions,  no  insurance  offices  existed  ;  trade  was 
at  the  lowest  ebb,  education  wholly  neglected,  the  schools  and 
college  shut  up  !  But  the  long-wished-for  event,  which  was  to 
light  up  this  dark  picture,  and  work  a  happy  transformation,  was 
at  hand. 

Finally,  the  day  fixed  upon  for  the  evacuation,  and  for  the 
triumphal  entry  of  Washington  and  the  American  army,  to  take 
possession  of  the  city,  was  Tuesday,  the  25th  of  November.  At 
an  early  hour,  on  that  cold,  but  radiant  morning,  the  whole  pop- 
ulation seemed  to  be  abroad,  making  ready  for  the  great  gala  day , 
regardless  of  a  keen  nor'wester.  During  the  forenoon  many  del- 
egations from  the  suburban  districts  began  to  arrive,  to  share  in 
the  public  festivities,  or  to  witness  the  exit  of  the  foreign  troops, 
and  the  entrance  of  the  victorious  Americans ;  while  with  the 
latter  was  expected  a  host  of  patriots,  to  re-occupy  their  desolate 
dwellings,  from  which  they  had  been  so  long  cruelly  exiled  ;  or 


otherwise,  only  to  gaze  upon  the  charred  aud  blackened  ruins  of 
what  was  once  their  homes  !* 

To  guard  against  any  disturbance  which  such  an  occasion  might 
favor,  in  the  interval  between  the  laying  down  and  the  resump- 
tion of  authority,  and  as  rumors  were  afloat  of  an  organized  plot 
to  plunder  the  town  when  the  King's  forces  were  withdrawn  ;  the 
hour  of  noon  had  been  set  for  the  Royal  troops  to  move,  and  by 
an  understanding  between  the  two  commauders-in-chief,  the 
Americans  were  to  promptly  advance  and  occupy  the  positions  as 
the  British  vacated  them  ;  the  latter,  when  ready  to  move,  to  send 
out  an  officer  to  notify  our  advance  guard.  There  was  no  longer 
any  antagonism  between  these,  so  recently  hostile,  forces  ;  the 
plans  for  the  evacuation,  on  the  one  part,  and  the  occupation,  on 
the  other,  being  carried  out  in  as  orderly  a  manner,  and  to  all 
appearance,  with  as  friendly  a  spirit,  as  when,  in  time  of  peace, 
one  guard  relieves  another  at  a  military  post. 

Major  Gen.  Knox,  a  large,  fine  looking  officer,  had  been  ap- 
pointed to  command  the  American  troops  which  were  first  to  enter 
and  occupy  the  city.  With  his  forces,  consisting  of  a  corps  of 
dragoons,  under  Capt.  John  Stakes,  another  of  artillery,  and 
several  battalions  of  infantry,  with  a  rear  guard  under  Major  John 
Burnet,  Knox  marched  from  McGown's  Pass,  Harlem,  early  in 
the  morning,  halting  at  the  present  junction  of  the  Bowery  and 
Third  Avenue.  Here  he  waited — meanwhile  holding  a  friendly 
parley  with  the  English  officers,  whose  forces  were  also  resting  a 
little  in  advance  of  him — until  about  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
The  British  then  receiving  orders  to  move,  took  up  their  march, 
passed  down  the  Bowery  and  Chatham  street,  and  wheeling  into 
Pearl,  finally  turned  off  to  the  river,  and  went  on  shipboard.  The 
American  forces  under  Gen.  Knox,  following  on,  proceeded 
through  Chatham  street,  into  and  down  Broadway,  and  took  pos- 
session. As  they  advanced,  greeted  with  happy  faces  and  joyful 
acclamations  by  crowds  of  freemen  who  lined  the  streets,  or  fairer 

*  THE  GREAT  FIRE,  of  September  20,  1776,  beginning  at  Whitehall 
slip,  swep1;  along  the  river  front  and  northward,  consuming  all  the 
buildings  between  Whitehall  street  on  the  west  and  Broad  street  on  the 
east,  extending  up  Broadway  to  a  point  just  below  Rector  street,  aud 
up  Broad  street  as  far  as  Beaver,  above  which  the  houses  on  Broad 
street  escaped ;  the  fire  being  confined  to  a  line  nearly  straight  from 
Beaver,  near  Broad,  to  the  point  it  reached  ou  Broadway.  Crossing 
Broadway,  it  also  swept  everything  north  of  Morris  street,  including 
Trinity  Church :  from  which  point  passing  behind  the  city  (later 
Cape's)  Tavern,  it  spared  the  Hue  of  buildings,  mainly  dwellings,  fac- 
ing Broadway,  with  a  few  joining  them  on  the  cross  streets,  but  other- 
wise made  a  clean  sweep  as  far  up  as  Barclay  street,  where  the  College 
gi'ounds  stayed  its  further  progress. 

The  fire  of  August  o,  1778,  which  was  confined  to  the  blocks  be- 
tween Old  slip  and  Coenties  sb'p,  reaching  up  to  Pearl  street,  was  a 
small  aifair  in  comparison. 


10 

forms  drawn  to  the  windows  and  balconies  by  the  beat  of  the 
American  drums  and  the  vociferous  cheering,  the  march  down 
Broadway  to  Cape's  Tavern  (on  the  site  now  of  tbe  Boreel  Build- 
ing)  was  indeed  the  triumphal  march  of  conquerors  ! 

Our  troops  having  halted  and  taken  their  position  opposit 
and  below  Cape's  Tavern,*  Gen.  Knox  quitted  them,  and  heading 
a  body  of  mounted  citizens,  lately  returned  from  exile,  and  who 
had  met  by  arrangement  at  the  Bowling  Green,  each  wearing  in 
his  hat  a  sprig  of  laurel,  and  on  the  left  breast  a  Union  cockade, 
made  of  black  and  white  ribbon,  rode  up  into  the  Bowery  to  re- 
ceive their  Excellencies  General  Washington  and  Governor 
George  Clinton,  who  were  at  the  Bull's  Head  Tavern  (site  of  the 
Thalia  Theatre),  they  having  arrived  at  Day's  Tavern,  Harlem, 
on  the  21st  inst.,  the  very  day  on  which  Carleton  had  drawn  in  his 
forces  and  abandoned  the  posts  from  Kingsbridge  to  McGown's 
Pass,  inclusive. 

At  the  Bull's  Head, where  the  widow  Varien  presided  as  hostese, 
congratulations  passed  freely,  and  a  series  of  hearty  demonstra- 
tions began,  on  the  part  of  the  overjoyed  populace,  which  con- 
tinued along  the  whole  line  of  Washington's  march,  and  closed 
only  with  the  day.  The  civic  procession  having  formed  began  its 
grand  entry  in  the  following  order  : 

General  Washington,  "  straight  as  a  dart  and  noble  as  he  could 
be,"  riding  a  spirited  gray  horse,  and  Governor  Clinton,  on  a  splen- 
did bay,  with  their  respective  suites  also  mounted ;  and  having 
as  escort  a  body  of  Westchester  Light  Horse,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Delavan. 

The  Lieutenant  Governor,  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  with  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Council  for  the  temporary  Government  of  the  South- 
ern District  of  New  York  ;  four  abreast. 

Major  Gen.  Knox,  and  the  officers  of  the  army  ;   eight  abreast. 

Citizens  on  horseback  ;  eight  abreast. 

The  Speaker  of  the  Assembly,  and  citizens  on  foot  ;  eight 
abreast. 

*  The  or.lers  of  Nov.  24,  to  our  troops  read  :  "  The  Light  Infantry 
will  furnish  a  company  for  Main  Guard  to-morrow.  As  soon  as  the 
troops  are  formed  in  the  city,  the  Main  Guard  wil  be  marched  off  to 
Fort  George ;  on  their  taking  possession,  an  officer  of  artillery  will  im- 
mediately hoist  the  American  standard.  *  *  *  On  the  stand- 
ard being  hoisted  in  Fort  George,  tbe  artillery  will  fire  thirteen  rounds. 
Afterwards  his  Excellency  Governor  Clinton  will  be  received  on  the  right 
of  the  line.  Tbe  officers  will  salute  I/is  Excellency  as  he  passes  them,  and 
the  troops  present  their  arms  by  corps,  and  the  drums  beat  a  march. 
After  his  Excellency  is  past  the  line,  and  alighted  at  Cape's  Tavern,  the 
artillery  will  fire  thirteen  rounds." 

As  our  flag  was  not  raised  on  Fort  George,  nor  the  salute  fired  urtil 
after  Gov.  Clinton  and  Gen.  "Washington  arrived  there,  the  delay,  and 
failure  to  carry  out  the  orders  strictly  as  if  sued,  must  be  accounted  for 
by  the  embarrassing  incident  hereafter  noticed. 


Sbowiug  Washington's   line    of    march    from    Bull's    Head 
(Bowery),  to  Cape's  Tavern,  in  Broadway  ;  and  thence 
to  Fort  George. 


£1^ 


13 


Near  the  Tea-water  Pump,  (in  Chatham  street  just  above 
Pearl),  where  the  citizens  on  foot  had  gathered  to  join  the  pro- 
cession, Washington  halted  the  column,  while  Gen.  Knox  and 
the  officers  of  the  Revolution  drew  out  and,  forming  into  line, 
marched  down  Chatham  street,  passing  a  body  of  the  British 
troops  which  were  still  halting  in  the  fields  (now  the  City  Hall 
Park)  ;  while  Washington  and  the  rest,  turning  down  Pearl  street, 
proceeded  on  to  Wall  stre3t,  and  up  Wall,  then  the  seat  of 
fashionable  residence*,  to  Broadway,  where  both  companies 
again  met,  and  while  our  troops  in  line  fired  a  feu-de-joie, 
alighted  at  the  popular  tavern  before  mentioned,  kept  by  John 
Cape,  where  now  stands  the  Boreel  Building.* 

We  must  mention  here,  that  when  Gen.  Knox  reached  the  New 
Jail,  then  known  as  the  Provost  (and  now  the  Hall  of  Records), 
Capt.  Cunningham,  the  Provost  Marshall,  and  his  deputy  and 
jailor  Sergeant  Keefe,  both  having  held  those  positions  during 
most  of  the  war,  and  equally  notorious  for  their  brutal  treatment 
of  the  American  prisoaers  who  were  confined  there,  thought  it 
about  time  to  retreat ;  and  quitting  the  jail,  followed  by  the 
hangman  in  his  yellow  jacket,  passed  between  a  platoon  of 
British  soldiers  and  marched  down  Broadway,  with  the  last 
detachment  of  their  troops.  When  Sergeant  Keefe  was  in 
the  act  of  leaving  the  Provost,  (says  John  Pintard),  one 
of  the  few  prisoners  then  in  his  custody  for  criminal  offences, 
called  out  :  "  Sergeant,  what  is  to  become  of  us  ?  "  "You  may 
all  go  to  the  devil  together,"  was  his  surly  reply,  as  he  threw 
the  bunch  of  keys  on  the  floor  behind  him.  "Thank  you,  Ser- 
geant," was  the  cutting  retort,  "we  have  had  too  much  of  your 
company  in  this  world,  to  wish  to  follow  you  to  the  next  !  " 
Another  incident,  which  respected  Cunningham,  was  witnessed 
(says  Dr.  Lossing),  by  the  late  Dr.  Alexander  Anderson.  It  was 

*  Why  "  the  officers  of  the  Revolution"  should  have  taken  a  different 
rout  admits  of  this  explanation.     The  officers  referred  to  were  no  doubt 
the   mounted    citizens  who   had  ridden   up   with  Knox  from  Bowling 
Gieen,  among  whom   were   colonels,  captains,  etc.,  of  the  late  arruy. 
The  move   was  evidently  made  to  re°.ch  Cape's  Tavern  first,  and  be  in 
position  ready  to  receive  their  Excellencies,   Washington  and   Clinton, 
and  present  addresses,  which  had  been  prepared.     This  is  referred  to 
in  a  letter  written  by  Elisha  D.   Whitlesey,  dated  Danbury,  Conn., 
Aug.  2-t,  1821,  "A  committee  had  been  appointed  by   the   citizens  to 
wait  upon  Gen.  Washington  and  Gov.  Clinton  and  other  American  offi- 
cers, and  to  express  their  joyful  congratulations  to  them  upon   the   oc- 
casion.    A  procession  for  this  purpose  formed «in  the  Bowery,  marched 
through  a  part  of  the  city,  and  halted  at  a  tavern,  then  known  by  the 
name  of  Cooper's  [Cape's]  Tavern,  in  Broadway,   where  the  following 
addresses  were  delivered.*    .  Mr.  Thomas   Tucker,    late   of    this  town 
[Daubury],    and  at  that  time  a  respectable  merchant  in  New  York,  a 
member  of  the  committee,  was  selected  to   perform   the   office  on  the 
part  of  the  committee." 

*  For  that  to  Washington,  and  hie  reply,  Bee  next  note. 


14 

during  the  forenoon,  that  a  tavern  keeper  in  Murray  street  hung 
out  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  Informed  of  it,  thither  hastened 
Cunningham,  who  with  an  oath,  and  in  his  imperious  tone,  ex- 
claimed, "  Take  in  that  flag,  the  City  is  ours  till  noon."  Suit- 
ing the  action  to  the  word,  he  tried  to  pull  down  the  obnoxious 
ensign  ;  but  the  landlady  coming  to  the  rescue,  with  broom 
in  hand,  dealt  the  Captain  such  lusty  blows,  as  made  the 
powder  fly  in  clouds  from  his  wig,  and  forced  him  to  beat  a  re- 
treat !  The  Provost  Guard,  and  the  Main  Guard  at  the  City 
Hall  (Wall  street,  opposite  Broad,  where  the  U.  S.  Treasury 
stands),  were  the  last  to  abandon  their  posts,  and  repair  on  ship- 
board. 

The  brief  reception  being  over,  at  Cape's  Tavern,  (with  pre- 
senting of  addresses  to  Gen.  Washington  and  Gov.  Clinton),  the 
cavalcade  again  formed,  and  marched  to  the  Battery,  to  enact 
the  last  formality  in  re-possessing  the  City,  which  was  to  unfurl 
the  American  flag  over  Fort  George*  A  great  concourse  of  peo- 
ple had  assembled,  not  only  to  witness  this  ceremony,  but  to 
obtain  a  sight  of  the  illustrious  Washington  and  other  great 
generals,  .who  had  so  nobly  defended  our  liberties. 

But  now  a  sight  was  presented,  which,  as  soon  as  fully  under- 
stood, drew  forth  from  the  astonished  and  incensed  beholders 
execrations  loud  and  deep.  The  royal  ensign  was  still  floating 

*  ADDRESS  TO  GENEBA.I,  WASHINGTON, 
Presented  at  Cape's  Tavern. 

To  his   Exjelleusy  GZOBGE  WASHINGTON,  Esquire,  Gsneral  and  Com- 
mander in  Chief  of  the  Armies  of  the  United  Stttes  of  America  : 

The  Address  of  the  Citizens  of  New  York,  who  hive  returned 
from  exile,  in  behalf  of  themselves  and  their  suffering 
brethren : 

8m: 

At  a  moment  when  the  arm  of  tyranny  is  yielding  up  its  fondest 
usurpations,  we  hope  the  salutations  of  long  suffering  exiles,  but  now 
happy  freemen,  will  not  be  deemed  an  unworthy  tribute.  In  this 
place,  and  at  this  moment  of  exultation  and  triumph,  while  the  ensigns 
of  slavery  still  linger  in  our  sight,  we  look  up  to  you,  our  deliverer, 
with  unusual  transports  of  gratitude  and  joy.  Permit  us  to  welcome 
you  to  this  City,  long  torn  from  us  by  the  hard  hand  of  oppression, 
but  now  by  your  wisdom  and  energy,  under  the  guidance  of  Provi- 
dence, once  more  the  seat  of  peace  and  freedom.  We  forbear  to  speak 
our  gratitude  or  your  praise,  we  should  but  echo  the  voice  of  applaud- 
ing millions;  but  the  Citizens  of  New  York  are  eminently  indebted  to 
your  virtues,  and  we  who  have  now  the  honor  to  aidress  your  Excel- 
lency, have  been  often  companions  of  your  sufferings,  and  witnesses  of 
your  exertions.  Permit  us  therefore  to  approach  your  Excellency  with 
the  dignity  and  sincerity  of  freemen,  and  to  assure  you  that  we  shall 
preserve  with  our  latest  breath  our  gratitude  for  your  services,  and 
veneration  for  your  character.  And  accept  of  our  sincere  and  earnest 
wishes  that  you  may  long  enjoy  that  calm  domestic  felicity  which  you 
have  so  generously  sacrificed;  that  the  cries  of  injured  liberty  may 


15 


as  usual  over  Fort  George  ;  the  enemy  having  departed  without 
striking  their  colors,  though  they  had  dismantled  the  fort  and  re- 
moved on  shipboard  all  their  stores  and  heavy  ordnance,  -while 
other  cannon  lay  dismounted  under  the  walls  as  if  thrown  off  in 
a  spirit  of  wantonness.  On  a  closer  view  it  was  found  that  the  flag 
had  been  nailed  to  the  staff,  the  halyards  taken  away,  and  the  pole 
itself  besmeared  Avith  grease ;  obviously  to  prevent  or  hinder  the 
removal  of  the  emblem  of  royalty,  and  the  raising  of  the  Stars  and 
Stripes.  Whether  to  escape  the  mortifiication  of  seeing  our  flag 
supplant  the  British  standard,  or  to  annoy  and  exasperate  our 
people  were  the  stronger  impulse,  it  were  hard  to  say.  It  was  too 
serious  for  a  joke,  however,  and  the  dilemma  caused  no  little  con- 
fusion. The  artillery  had  taken  a  position  on  the  Battery,  the 
guns  were  uulimbered,  and  the  gunners  stood  ready  to  salute  our 

nevermore  interrupt  your  repose,  and  that  your  happiness  may  be 
equal  to  your  virtues. 

Signed  at  the  request  of  the  meeting. 

THOMAS  BAND  ALL. 
DAN.  PHCBNIX. 
SAML.  BEOOME. 
THOS.  TtrcKEB. 
HENBY  KIPP. 
PAT.  DENNIS. 
WM.  GILBERT,  Sr. 
WM.  GILBEBT,  Jr. 
FBANCIS  VAN  DYCK. 
JEBEMIAH  WOOL. 
GEO.  JANEWAY. 
ABBA'UI  P.  LOTT. 
EPHBAIM  BBASHIEB. 
NEW  YORK,  Nov.  25th,  1783. 

THE  GENERAL'S  BEPLY. 

To  the  Citizens  of  New  York  who  have  returned  from  exile  : 
GETNLEMEN — 

I  thank  you  sincerely  for  your  affectionate  address,  and  entreat  you 
to  be  persuaded  that  nothing  could  be  more  agreeable  to  me  than  your 
polite  congratulations.  Permit  me  in  turn  to  felicitate  you  on  the 
happy  repossession  of  your  City. 

Great  as  your  joy  must  be  on  this  pleasing  occasion,  it  can  scarcely 
exceed  that  which  I  feel  at  seeing  you,  Gentlemen,  who  from  the  noblest 
motives  have  suffered  a  voluntary  exile  of  many  years,  return  again  in 
peace  and  triumph,  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  your  virtuous  conduct. 

The  fortitude  and  perseverance,  which  you  and  your  suffering 
brethren  have  exhibited  in  the  course  of  the  war,  have  not  only 
endeared  you  to  your  countrymen,  but  will  be  remembered  with  admi- 
ration and  applause  to  the  latest  posterity. 

May  the  tranquility  of  your  City  be  perpetual, — may  the  ruins 
soon  be  repaired,  commerce  nourish,  science  be  fostered,  and  all  the 
civil  and  social  virtues  be  cherished  in  the  same  illustrious  manner 
which  formerly  reflected  so  much  credit  on  the  inhabitants  of  New 
York.  In  fine,  may  every  species  of  felicity  attend  you,  Gentlemen, 
and  your  worthy  fellow  citizens. 

GEO.  WASHINGTON. 


16 


colors.  But  tho  grease  baffled  all  attempts  to  shin  up  the  staff. 
To  cut  the  staff  down  and  erect  another  would  consume  too  much 
time.  Impatient  of  delay,  "  three  or  four  guns  were  fired  with 
the  colors  on  a  pole  before  they  were  raised  .on  the  flag-staff."* 
But  this  expedient  was  premature  and  humiliating,  while  the 
hostile  flag  yet  waved  as  if  in  defiance.  The  scene  grew  exciting  : 
and  now  appeared  another  actor,  hitherto  looking  on,  but  no  idle 
observer  of  what  was  passing.  He  was  a  young  man  of  medium 
height,  whose  ruddy  honest  face,  tarpaulin  cap  and  pea-jacket 
told  his  vocation.  Born  neither  to  fortune  nor  to  fame,  yet  by 
his  own  merits  and  exertions  he  had  won  the  regard  of  some  in 
that  assembly,  having  served  under  McClaughry,  and  Willett, 
and  Weissenfels,  as  also  the  Clintons,  to  whom  he  had  lived 
neighbor,  within  that  patriotic  circle  in  old  Orange,  where  these 
were  the  guiding  spirits,  and  every  yeoman  with  them,  shoulder 
to  shoulder,  in  the  common  cause.  As  a  subaltern  officer  he  had 
made  a  good  record  during  the  war,  and  none  present,  however 
superior  in  station,  had  sustained  a  better  character  or  exhibited 
a  purer  patriotism.  This  was  John  Van  Arsdale,  late  a  Sergeant 
in  Capt.  Hardenburgh's  company  of  New  York  Levies.  At  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  quitting  his  father's  vessel,  where  he  had  been 
bred  a  sailor,  he  enlisted  in  the  Continental  Army  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Avar,  and  had  served  faithfully  till  its  close.  Suffer- 
ing cold  and  hardship  in  the  Canada  expedition,  wounded  and 
taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Fort  Montgomery,  he  had  lan- 
guished weary  months  in  New  York  dungeons,  and  in  the  foul 
hold  of  a  British  prisonship,  and  subsequently  braved  the  perils 
of  Indian  warfare  in  several  campaigns.  And  with  such  a  record, 
where  expect  to  find  him  but  among  his  old  compatriots,  on  this 
day  of  momentous  import,  when  the  struggles  of  seven  years 
were  to  culminate  in  a  final  triumph. 

Van  Arsdale  volunteered  to  climb  the  staff,  though  with  little 
prospect  of  succeeding  better  than  others,  especially  when  after 
making  an  attempt,  sailor  fashion,  he  was  unable  to  maintain  his 
grasp  upon  the  slippery  pole.  Now  it  was  proposed  to  replace 
the  cleats  which  had  been  knocked  off ;  and  persons  ran  in  haste  to 
Peter  Goelet's  hardware  store,  in  Hanover  Square,  and  returned 
with  a  saw,  hatchet,  gimlets,  and  nails.  Then  willing  hands  sawed 
pieces  of  board,  split  and  bored  cleats,  and^began  to  nail  them  on. 
By  this  means  Van  Arsdale  got  up  a  short  distance,  with  a  line  to 
which  our  flag  was  attached  ;  but  just  then,  a  ladder  being  brought 
to  his  assistance,  he  mounted  still  higher,  then  completed  the  as- 
cent in  the  usual  way,  and  reaching  the  top  of  the  staff,  tore  down 
the  British  standard,  and  rove  the  new  halyards  by  which  the 

*  Gen.   Jeremiah  Johnson,  who  was  present,  so  stated  to  the  writer 
Feb.  15,  1848. 


17 


Star-spangled  Banner  was  quickly  run  up  by  Lieut.  Anthony 
Glean,  and  floated  proudly,  while  the  multitude  gave  vent  to  their 
joy  in  hearty  cheers,  and  the  artillery  boomed  forth  a  national 
salute  of  thirteen  guns  !*  On  descending,  Van  Arsdale  was 

*  A  patriotic  song  was  composed  for  that  day,  entitled,  "The  Sheep 
Stealers?"  which  was  distributed  and  sung  with  immense  gusto  in  the 
evening  coteries.  Coarse,  but  designed  to  cast  ridicule  on  the  enemy, 
it  is  given  as  a  specimen  of  the  popular  songs  of  the  period  : 

KING  GEOKGE  sent  his  Sheep-stealers, 

Poor  Refugees  and  Tories ! 
King  George  sent  his  Sheep-stealers 

To  fish  for  mutton  here, 

To  fish  for  mutton  here, 

To  fish  for  mutton  here, 
Hut  Yankees  were  hard  dealers, 

Poor  Refugees  and  Tories  ; 
But  Yankees  were  hard  dealers, 

They  sold  their  sheep-skins  dear, 

They  sold  their  sheep-skins  dear, 

They  sold  their  sheep-skins  dear, 
But  Yankees  were  hard  dealers, 

They  sold  their  sheep-skins  dear ! 

At  Boston  Britons  glorious, 

The  Refugees  and  Tories, 

Made  war  on  pigs  and  fowls, 
But  o'er  men  un-victorious, 

They  fled  by  night  like  owls  ! 

The  Howes  came  in  a  huff,  Boys, 

With  Refugees  and  Tories, 

To  plunder,  burn  and  sink  ; 
But  like  a  candle-snuff,  Boys, 

They  went — and  left  a  stink  ! 

Burgoyne,  that  cunning  rogue,  ah  ! 

With  Refugees  and  Tories, 

Of  conquest  laid  grand  schemes  ; 
But  Gates  at  Saratoga, 

Awak'd  him  from  his  dreams  ! 

The  noble  Earl  Cornwally, 

With  Refugees  and  Tories, 

Of  southern  plunderers  chief, 
At  Yor.ktown  wept  the  folly 

Of  stealing  "Rebel"  beef  .' 

Clinton,  that  son  of  thunder, 
With  Refugees  and  Tories, 
At  New  York  took  his  stand. 
And  swore  that  he  asunder 
Would  shake  the  Rebel  land  ! 

Of  mighty  deeds  achieving, 

With  Refugees  and  Tories, 

He  talked,  O  !  he  talked  big, 
But  changed  his  plan  to  thieving 

Of  turkey,  goose  and  pig  ! 


18 

warmly  greeted  by  the  overjoyed  spectators,  for  the  service  he 
had  rendered;  but  some  one  proposing  a  more  substantial  ac- 
knowledgement than  mere  applause,  hats  were  passed  around, 
and  a  considerable  sum  collected,  nearly  all  within  reach  contrib- 
uting, even  to  _the  Commander-in-Chief.  Though  taken  quite 
aback,  Van  Arsdale  modestly  accepted  the  gift,  with  a  protest  at 
being  rewarded  for  so  trivial  an  act.  But  the  contributors  weer 
of  another  opinion  ;  he  had  accomplished  what  was  thought  im- 
practicable, and  the  occasion  and  the  emergency  made  his  success 
peculiarly  gratifying  to  all  present.  On  returning  home  to  his 
amiable  Polly  (they  had  been  married  short  of  six  months),  the 
story  of  "  Eradiation  Dj,y,"  and  the  silver  money  which  he 
poured  into  her  lap,  caused  her  to  open  her  eyes,  and  fixed  the 
circumstance  iudellibly  in  her  memory  ! 

But  to  return :  during  the  scene  on  the  Battery,  which  con- 
sumed full  an  hour,  the  last  squads  of  the  BritislJ  were  getting 
into  their  boats,  while  [many  others,  filled  with  spldiers,  rested 
on  their  oars  between  the  shore  and  their  ships,  anchored  in  the 
North  River.  They  kept  silence  during  this  time,  and  watched 
our  efforts  to  hjist  the  colors  (no  doubt  enjoying  our  embarrass- 
ment), but  when  our  flag  was  run  up  and  the  salute  fired,  they 
rowed  off  to  their  shipping,  which  soon  weighed  anchor  and  pro- 
ceeded down  the  bay.* 

This  scene  over,  the  Commander-in-Chief  and  the  general  offi- 
cers, accompanied  Gov.  Clinton  to  Fraunces'  Tavern,  also  a 
popular  resort,  and  which  still  stands  on  the  corner  of  Pearl  and 
Broad  streets.  Here  the  Governor  gave  a  sumptuous  dinner. 
The  repast  over,  then  came  "  the  feast  of  reason  and  the  flow  of 
soul,"  when  the  sentiments  dearest  to  those  brave  and  loyal  men 
found  utterance  in  the  following  admirable  toasts  : 
1.  The  United  States  of  America. 

Of  conquest  then  despairing, 

With  Refugees  and  Tories, 

George  for  his  Bull-dogs  sent ; 
They  Yankee  vengeance  fearing, 

Greased  the  flag-staff—  and  went ! 

Then  Yorkers,  let's  remember 

The  Refugees  and  Tories, 

The  five  and  twentieth  day 
Of  the  bleak  mouth,  November, 

When  the  Cow-thieves  sneaked  away  ! 

*  The  •  British  troops  did  not  take  their  final  departure  from  Lon£ 
Island  and  Staten  Island  till  the  4th  of  December.  Their  flag  waved 
over  Governor's  Island  till  the  3d,  when  the  Island  was  formally  given 
np  to  an  officer  sent  over  by  Gov.  Clinton,  for  that  purpose.  (Mag.  of 
Am.  Hist.,  1883,  p.  430.)  Sir  Guy  Carieton  and  other  officers  and 
gentlemen  sailed  in  the  frigate  Ceres,  Capt.  Hawkins. 


19 


2.  His  most  Christian  Majesty. 

3.  The  United  Netherlands. 

4.  The  King  of  Sweden. 

5.  The  American  Army. 

6.  TJie    Fleet  and  Armies  of  France,  which  have  served  in 
America. 

7.  The  Memory  of  those  Heroes  who  have  fallen  for  our  Free- 
dom. 

8.  May  our  Country  be  grateful  to  her  Military  Children. 

9.  May  Justice  support  what  Courage  has  gained. 

10.  The  Vindicators  of  the  Rights  of  Mankind  in  every  Quarter 
of  the  Globe.  •; 

11.  May  America  be  an  Asylnm  to  the  Persecuted  of  the  Earth. 

12.  May  a  close  Union  of  the  States  guard  the  Temple  they 
have  erected  to  Liberty. 

13.  May   the   Remembrance  of  THIS    DAY,   be  a  Lesson   to 
Princes. 

An  extensive  illumination  of  the  buildings  in  the  evening,  a 
grand  display  of  rockets,  and  the  blaze  of  bonfires  at  every  corner, 
made  a  fitting  sequel  to  the  events  of  the  day.*  Great  as  was  the 
joy,  and  lively  as  were  the  demonstrations  of  it,  not  the  slightest 
outbreak  or  disturbance  occurred,  to  mar  the  public  tranquility  ; 
and  the  happy  citizens  retired  to  rest  in  the  sweet  consciousness 
that  the  reign  of  martial  law  and  of  regal  despotism  had  ended  ! 
But  it  was  remarked,  says  an  eyewitness  of  the  time,  that  an 
unusual  proportion  of  those  who  in  '76  had  fled  from  New  York, 
had  been  cut  off  by  death  and  denied  a  share  in  the  general  joy, 
which  marked  the  return  of  their  fellow  citizens  to  their  former 
habitations.  And  those  habitations,  such  as  had  survived  the 
fires,  how  marred  and  damaged,  as  before  intimated ;  in  many 
case's  mere  shells  and  wrecks.  And  the  sanctuaries,  where  they 
and  their  fathers  had  worshipped,  all  despoiledy  save  St.  Paul's,  * 
St.  George's  in  Beekman  street,  the  Dutch  Church,  Garden 
street,  the  Lutheran  church,  Frankfort  street,  the  Methodist 
Meeting  House  in  John  street,  (none  remaining  at  present  but 
the  first  and  last),  and  some  three  or  four  small  and  obscure 
places.  Years  elapsed,  before,  in  their  poverty,  the  people 
were  enabled  fully  to  restore  some  of  them  to  their  former 
sacred  uses.  The  churches  which  suffered  most  at  the  ene- 
my's hands  were  the  Middle  and  North  Dutch  churches,  in 
Nassau  and  William  streets,  the  two  Presbyterian  churches,  iu 
Wall  and  Beekman  streets,  the  Scotch  Presbyterian  church, 

*  Among  the  more  authentic  newspaper  accounts  of  the  Evacuation, 
is  one  of  which  I  have  here  availed  myself,  contained  in  the  New  York 
Sun  of  Nov.  27th,  1850,  but  copied  from  the  Observer.  Much  valuable 
material  is  also  brought  together  in  the  N.  Y.  Corp.  Manual  for  1870. 


20 

in  Cedar  street,  the  French  church  in  Pine  street,  the  Baptist 
church,  Gold  street,  and  the  Friends'  new  Meeting  House,  in 
Pearl  street;  all  since  removed  to  meet  the  demands  of  trade. 
Religious  affairs  were  found  in  a  sad  plight  when  the  evacuation 
took  place.  The  Dutch,  Presbyterian  and  Baptist  ministers  had 
gone  into  voluntary  exile.  The  Rev.  Charles  Inglis,  D.D.,  Rector 
of  Trinity  Parish,  having  made  himself  very  obnoxious  to  the 
patriots,  concluded  to  follow  the  loyalists  of  his  flock  to  Nova 
Scotia,  and  therefore  resigned  his  rectorship  Nov.  1st,  preceding 
the  evacuation.  Dr.  John  H.  Livingston,  arriving  with  our  peo- 
ple, immediately  resumed  his  services  in  Garden  street.  Other 
pastors  were  not  so  favored.  Dr.  John  Rogers,  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  returned  on  the  day  after  the  evacuation,  and  on  the 
following  Sabbath,  Nov.  30th,  preached  in  St.  George's  chapel, 
"  to  a  thronged  and  deeply  affected  assembly,"  a  discourse  adapted 
to  the  occasion  from  Psalms  cxvi,  12, — "  What  shall  I  render 
unto  the  Lord,  for  all  His  benefits  towards  me  ?"  The  vestry  of 
Trinity  church  having  kindly  offered  the  use  of  their  two  chapels, 
St.  Paul's  and  St.  George's,  the  Presbyterians  occupied  these 
buildings  a  part  of  every  Sabbath  until  June  27th,  1784,  when 
they  took  possession  of  the  Brick  Church,  Beekman  street,  which 
had  been  repaired. 

On  the  Friday  following  the  evacuation,  the  citizens  lately 
returned  from  exile,  gave  an  elegant  entertainment,  at  Cape's 
Tavern,  to  his  Excellency,  the  Governor,  and  the  Council  for  gov- 
erning the  City ;  when  Gen.  Washington  and  the  Officers  of  the 
Army,  about  three  hundred  gentlemen,  graced  the  feast.  The 
following  Tuesday,  Dec.  2d,  another  such  entertainment  was 
given  by  Gov.  Clinton,  at  the  same  place,  to  the  French  Ambas- 
sador, Luzerne,  and  in  the  evening,  at  the  Bowling  Green,  the 
Definitive  Treaty  of  Peace  was  celebrated  by  "an  unparallelled 
exhibition  of  fireworks,"  and  when,  says  an  account  of  it,  "the 
prodigious  concourse  of  spectators  assembled  on  the  occasion, 
expressed  their  plaudits  in  loud  and  grateful  clangors  !"  On 
Thursday,  the  4th,  Gan.  Washington  bade  a  final  adieu  to  his 
fellow  officers  at  Fraunces'  Tavern.  The  scene  was  most  affect- 
ing. "  With  a  heart  full  of  love  and  gratitude,"  said  he,  "  I  now 
take  leave  of  you,  and  most  devoutly  wish  that  your  latter  days 
may  be  as  prosperous  and  happy  as  your  former  ones  have  been 
glorious  and  honorable."  Embracing  each  one  in  turn,  while 
tears  coursed  down  their  manly  checks,  he  parted  from  them,  and 
from  the  City,  to  resign  his  commission  to  Congress,  and  seek 
again  the  retirement  of  private  life. 

The  following  Thursday,  Dec.  llth,  was  observed  by  appoint- 
ment of  Congress,  "  as  a  day  of  public  Thanksgiving  throughout 
the  United  States."  On  this  occasion  Dr.  Rogers  preached  in 


21 


St.  George's  chapel,  a  sermon  from  Psalms  cxxvi,  3, — "The 
Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad."  It 
was  afterwards  published  with  the  title — "  The  Divine  Goodness 
displayed  in  the  American  Revolution. " 

Thus  just  eight  score  years  after  Europeans  first  settled  on  this 
Islanfl.  of  Manhattan,  our  City  had  its  new  birth  into  freedom, 
and  started  on  its  unexampled  career  of  prosperity  and  greatness. 
And  as  we  contemplate  the  growth,  enterprise,  trade,  commerce, 
credit,  opulence  and  magnificence  of  the  present  City,  with  its 
hundreds  of  churches,  schools  and  other  noble  institutions,  and 
contrast  it  with  the  contracted,  war-worn,  desolate  town,  of  which 
our  fathers  took  possession  on  the  25th  of  November  1783,  well 
may  we  exclaim — "  What  hath  God  wrought  ?"  That  day,  whose 
memories  were  so  fondly  cherished  by  our  grandsires  while  they 
lived,  was  one  of  great  significance  in  the  history  of  our  City  and 
Country.  Its  anniversary  has  ever  since  been  duly  celebrated  by 
military  parades,  and  a  national  salute  fii'ed  on  the  Battery  at 
sunrise,  by  the  "Independent  Veteran  Corps  of  Heavy  Artillery," 
composed  at  first  of  Revolutionary  soldiers,  and  of  which  John 
Van  Arsdale  was  long  an  efficient  and  honored  member,  and,  at 
the  time  of  his  decease,  its  First  Captain-Lieutenant.*  For  many 

*  IT  caused  great  surprise,  in  1831,  that  an  officer  of  the  Revolution, 
Capt.*  John  Van  Dyck,  of  Lamb's  artillery,  who  was  present  at  the  evac- 
uation of  New  York,  and  ' '  was  on  Fort  George  and  within  two  feet  of 
the  flagstaff,"  should  have  stated  in  the  most  positive  terms,  that 
''there  was  no  British  flag  on  the  staff  to  pull  down;"  also  that  no 
ladder  was  used,  and  besides,  more  than  intimated  that  Van  Arsdale  did 
not  perform  the  part  ascribed  to  him !  (His  It-tter,  in  N.  T.  Com- 
mercial Advertiser,  of  June  30th,  1831.)  We  well  remember  Capt.  Van 
Dyck,  an  1  do  not  doubt  the  sincerity  of  his  statements;  but  it  only 
shows  how  effectually  facts  once  well  known  may  be  obliterated  from 
the  memory  by  the  lapse  of  time.  For  few  facts  in  our  history  are 
better  authenticated  than  that  the  royal  standard  was  left  flying  at  the 
evacuation ;  and  it  was  afterwards  complained  of,  as  the  able  historian, 
Mr.  Dawsoii  writes  me,  by  John  Adams,  our  first  embassador  to  Eng- 
land, as  an  unfriendly  act,  to  evacuate  the  City  without  a  formal  sur- 
rendtr  of  it,  or  striking  their  colors.  The  fact  is  also  mentioned  in  a 
pamphlet  printed  in  1808,  by  the  '•  Wallabout  Committee,"  (appointed 
to  superintend  the  interment  of  the  bones  of  American  patriots  who 
perished  in  the  prison  ships),  and  consisting  of  gentlemen  who  could 
not  have  all  been  ignorant  on  such  a  point,  viz.,  Messrs.  Jacob  Van- 
dervoort,  John  Jackson,  Tssachar  Cozzens,  Burdet  Stryker,  Robert 
Townsend,  Jr.,  Benjamin  Watson  and  Samuel  Cowdrey.  Hardie,  who 
wrote  his  account  prior  to  1825,  ("Description  of  New  York,"  p.  107,) 
also  makes  the  same  statement,  and  so  dees  Dr.  Lossing  :  ' '  Field  Book 
of  the  Revolution,"  2:633.  A  letter  written  in  New  York  the  day  after 
the  evacuation,  says  "  they  cut  away  the  halyards  from  the  flagstaff  in 
the  fort,  and  likewise  greased  the  post ;  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  have 
a  ladder  to  fix  a  new  rope."  The  use  of  a  ladder  is  attested  by  Lieut. 
Glean ;  and  also  by  the  late  Pearson  Halstead,  who  witnessed  the 
ascent.  Mr.  Halstead  stated  this  to  me,  in  1845,  and  that,  about  the 
year  1805,  he  was  informed  that  Van  Arsdale  was  the  person  who 
climbed  the  staff.  His  association  with  Mr.  Van  Arsdale,  both  in  busi- 


22 


years  the  day  was  observed  with  great  eclat;  the  troops,  iu  parad- 
ing, "went  thiough  the  forms  practicad  on  taking  possassiou  of 
the  City,  maneuvering  and  firing  feux-dc-joie,  &c.,  as  occurred 
on  the  evacuation. "  All  shops  and  business  places  were  closed, 
artisans  and  toilers  ceased  their  work,  auJl  the  streets,  decorated 
with  patriotic  emblems,  and  alive  with  happy  people,  wars  given 
up  to  gaiety  and  mirth.  To  civic  and  military  displays  ware 
added  sumptuous  dinners,  and  convivial  parties,  while  the  school- 
boy rejoiced  in  a  holiday  ;  the  whole  bearing  witness  to  a  peo- 
ples' gratitude  for  the  deliverance  which  that  memorable  day 
brought  them.  And  boys  of  older  growth  may  yet  recall  the 
simple  distich  : 

"  It's  Evacuation  Day,  when  the  British  ran  away, 
Please,  dear  Master,  give  us  holiday  !" 

In  the  evening  every  place  of  amusement  was  well  attended, 
but  none  better  than  Peale's  American  Museum,  because,  as  dulv 
advertised  : — "The  Flag  hoisted  by  order  of  Gen.  Washington, 
on  the  Battery,  the  same  day  the  British  troops  evacuated  this 
city,  is  displayed  in  the  uppsr  hall,  as  a  sacrad  memorial  of  that 
day."  This  flag  was  presented  to  the  museum  by  the  Common 
Council  in  1819.  It  was  raised  on  the  Battery  for  the  last  time 
in  1846,  and  when  the  museum  was  burned  the  oil  flag  per- 
ished ! 

Well  deserves  this  day  not  merely  a  local  but  a  national  com- 
memoration ;  since  it  inaugurated  for  the  nation  an  era  of  free- 
dom, the  blessings  of  whic'i  all  could  not  realize,  while  the  chief 
city  and  seaport  of  our  country  were  held  by  foreign  armies. 

Another  chapter,  introducing  us  to  colonial  and  revolutionary 
times,  will  tell  more  of  Capt.  Van^  Arsdale,  what  he  did  and 
endured  for  his  country,  and  ensure  him  a  grateful  remembrance 
so  long  as  "Evacuation  Day  "shall  cheer  us  by  its  annual 
return. 

ness  and  in  the  Veteran  Corps,  gave  him  the  best  means  of  knowing  the 
common  belief  on  that  subject,  and  he  said  it  was  "a  fact  understood 
and  admitted  by  the  members  of  the  Veteran  Corps,  who  used  often  to 
speak  of  it."  Capt.  George  W.  Chapman,  of  the  Veteran  Corps,  then 
84  years  of  age,  informed  me,  in  1845,  that  he  commanded  the  Corps 
when  Van  Arsdale  joined  it,  and  that  the  fact  ascribed  to  the  latter  was 
well  known  to  the  members  of  the  Corps,  and  never  disputed.  John 
Nixon,  a  reliable  witness,  said  to  me,  in  1844,  that  he  saw  the  ascent, 
&c.,  "by  a  short  thickset  man  in  sailor's  dress,"  and  that  ten  year's 
later  (1793)  he  became  acquaiuted  with  Van  Arsdale,  and  then  learned 
that  '  he  wai  the  person  who  tore  down  the  British  flag,  in  1783."  Gen. 
Jeremiah  Johnson  informed  me,  in  1846,  that  he  "  saw  the  sailor,  in  ordi- 
nary round  jacket  and  seaman's  dress,  shin  up  the  flagstaff ;  a  middling 
sized  man,  well  proportioned."  Major  Jonathan  Lawrence,  who  was 
present;  said  "a  sa!,lor  mounted  the  flagstaff,  with  fresh  halyards, 
rigged  it  and  hoisted  the  American  flag." 


23 


OHAPTEE  II. 

>HE  real  conservators  of  the  rights  of  mankind  have  rarely 
been  found  among  the  rich  or  titled  aristocracy.  They 
belong  to  the  more  ingenuous,  sympathetic,  and  virtuous 
middle  class  of  society,  so  called.  This  is  not  the  less  true 
because  of  the  notable  exceptions,  where  the  endowments  of 
wealth,  rank,  and  influence,  have  added  lustre  to  the  names  of 
some  of  earth's  best  benefactors.  The  fact  must  remain  that 
the  bone  and  sinew  of  a  nation,  and  in  which  consists  its  safety 
in  peace,  and  its  defense  in  war,  are  its  hardy  yeoman  who  guide 
the  plow,  or  wield  the  axe,  or  ply  the  anvil ;  and  without  whose 
practical  ideas  and  well-directed  energies,  no  community  could 
protect  itself,  or  make  any  real  advan?ement.  It  was  most  for- 
tunate that  the  founders  of  this  nation  were  so  largely  of  this 
sterling  class  ;  the  architects  of  their  own  fortunes,  no  labor,  no 
difficulties  or  dangers  appalled  them  ;  the  very  men  were  they, 
to  break  by  stalwart  blows  the  fetters  which  despotism  was  fast 
riveting  upon  them. 

Such  was  Captain  John  Van  Arsdale,  in  the  essentials  of  his 
character.  It  chafed  his  young,  free  spirit  to  see  his  country,  the 
home  of  his  ancestors  for  a  century  before  his  birth,  bleeding 
under  the  iron  hand  of  tyranny,  and  invoking  the  sturdy  and 
the  brave  to  come  forth  and  strike  the  blow  for  freedom.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  to  haed  that  call,  and  to  fearlessly  enter  the 
lists  ;  nor  ceased  to  battle  manfully  till  our  independence  was 
achieved  !  If  honest,  unswerving  patriotism,  standing  the  triple 
test  of  manifold  hardships  and  dangers,  long  and  cruel  imprison- 
ment and  years  of  arduous,  poorly-requited  service,  should  enti- 
tle one  to  the  love  and  gratitude  of  his  country ;  then  let  such 
honor  bo  awarded  to  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  the  power  of 
his  example  tell  upon  all  those  who  may  read  it. 

John  Van  Arsdale  was  the  son  of  John  and  Deborah  Van  Ars- 
dale, and  was  born  in  the  town  of  Cornwall  (then  a  part  of 
Goshen),  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  on  Monday,  January  5th,  1756.* 
His  ancestors  for  four  generations  in  this  country,  as  mentioned 
in  the  records  of  their  times,  were  men  of  intelligence  and  virtue, 
honored  and  trusted  in  the  communities  in  which  they  lived,  and 
on  whom,  as  God-fearing  men,  rested  the  mantles  of  their  fathers 
who  had  battled  for  their  faith  in  the  wars  of  the  Netherlands. 
His  grandsire,  Stoffel  Van  Arsdalen  (for  so  he  and  his  Dutch 

*  AKSDA.LE  was  formerly  pronounced  as  if  written  aurs-daul ;  hence 
the  various  modes  of  spelling  it  to  express  the  Dutch  pronunciation  by 
English  letters,  as  Osdoll,  etc.  But  the  growing  disposition  to  correct 
such  departures  by  resuming  the  original  form  of  surnames,  leads  us 
to  hope  for  a  reformation  in  this  case  also,  especially  as  a  large  part  of 
the  family  have  held  to  the  form  which  early  obtained. 


progenitors  wrote  the  name),  had  removed  from  Gravesend,  Long 
Island,  to  Somerset  County,  New  Jersey,  in  the  second  decade  of 
that  century,  and  eventually  purchased  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres  in  Franklin  township,  where  he  lived,  zealously  devoted  to 
the  church,  and  highly  esteemed,  till  his  death  near  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Kevolution.*  He  married  Magdalena,  daughter  of 
Okie  Van  Hengelen,  and  had  several  children,  of  whom,  John, 
born  1722,  and  Cornelius,  born  1729,  removed  to  the  County  of 
Orange,  aforesaid,  t  John,  by  trade  a  millwright,  was  engaged 
by  Mr.  Tunis  Van  Pelt  to  build  a  grist  mill  on  Murderer's  Creek, 
so  called  from  an  Indian  tragedy  of  earlier  times  ;  and  from  which 
name  softened  to  Murdner,  in  common  usage,  came  the  modern 
Moodna.  While  so  occupied,  and  sharing  the  hospitalities  of 
Mr.  Van  Pelt's  house,  he  wooed  and  married  his  daughter,  Deb- 
orah, in  1744.  Associating  with  his  father-in-law  in  the  milling 


*  SIMON  JANSEN  VAN  ABSDALEN,  the 
grandf ather.of  Stoffel,  Cin  English,  Chris- 
topher, )  was  the  common  ancestor  of  all 
in  this  country  bearing  the  name  of  Van 
Arsdale,  or  its  modification,  Van'  Osdoll, 
which  latter  preserves  the  Dutch  pro- 
nunciation. He  was  born  in  Holland 
in  1629,  of  an  ancient  Helvetian  family, 
emigrated  to  this  country  in  1653,  and 
settled  in  Flatlands,  L.I.,  where  he  mar- 
ried Peternelle,  daught  r  of  Claes  (or 
Nicholas)  Wyckoff.  He  acquired  prop- 
erty, was  a  magistrate  and  repeatedly 
chosen  an  elder  of  the  church,  and  lived 
to  be  over  four  score  years  of  age.  He 
had,  besides  daughters,  two  sous,  Corne- 
lius and  John,  both  of  whom  inherited  their  father's  virtues  and  were 
prominent  in  civil  and  church  affairs.  Each  of  these  had  six  sons  (Cor- 
nelius had  Derick,  John.  Simon,  Philip,  Abraham  and  Jacobus  or 
James  ;  and  John  had  Simon,  Stoffel,  Nicholas,  Jurian,  or  Uriah, 
John  and  Cornelius),  most  of  whom  (except  Nicholas  who  lived  in 
Jamaica,  L.  I.,)  settJed  about  the  Raritaii  in  New  Jersey,  whence  some 
removed  into  Pennsylvania ;  they  were  as  a  family,  remarkably  attached 
to  the  church  and  to  the  elder  Frelinghuysens .  John,  first  named, 
married,  1G95,  Lammetie,  daughter  of  Stoffel  Probasko,  lived  for  some 
years  in  Gravesend,  but  died  in  the  town  of  Jamaica,  about  1756,  and 
as  will  be  seen  was  the  father  of  Stoffel,  named  in  the  text.  The  family 
has  been  very  prolific,  and  has  furnished  to  society  many  capable 
business  men,  besides  physicians,  clergymen,  bankers,  etc.  Of  these 
was  the  late  Dr.  Peter  Van  Arsdale,  of  this  city. 

t  ABENT  TEUNISSEN,  great  grandfather  of  Magdalena  Van  Heugelen, 
came  out  to  this  country  from  Hengelen  (now  Hengelo),  in  the  County 
of  Zutphen,  in  1653,  the  same  year  in  which  Simon  Van  Arsdale 
arrived.  He  was  under  engagement  to  Baron  Vander  Capelle,  to  cul- 
tivate his  lands  on  Staten  Island,  but  was  slain  in  the  Indian  massacre 
of  1655,  His  son  Keynier,  was  the  father  of  Okie  Van  Hengelen, 
named  in  the  text,  who  left  descendants  in  New  Jersey,  called  Van 
Anglen,  of  whom  was  Capt.  John  Van  Anglen,  of  the  Revolution. 


25 


business,  Van  Arsdale  eventually  became  proprietor,  assisted,  we 
believe,  by  his  brother  Cornelius,  who  was  a  miller.  Building 
up  a  large  trade,  he  also  became  known  for  his  private  virtues 
and  public  spirit.  A  lieutenant's  commission  (in  which  he  is 
styled  "of  Ulster  County,  Gentleman"),  under  Capt.  Thomas 
Ellison,  and  dated  October  10th,  1754,  is  now  in  the  writer's  pos- 
session. But  misfortune,  the  loss  of  a  vessel  sent  to  the  Bay  of 
Honduras  laden  with  flour,  and  where  it  was  to  ship  a  cargo  of 
logwood,  led  him  to  give  up  the  business  and  remove  to  New 
York,  where  he  took  charge  of  the  Prison  in  the  old  City  Hall,  in 
Wall  street,  which  was  deemed  a  post  of  great  responsibility.  It 
was  soon  after  this  change  that  John,  the  subject  of  our  sketch, 
was  born,  at  Mr.  Van  Pelt's  residence,  at  Moodna,  where  his 
mother  had  either  remained,  or  was  then  making  a  visit.  About 
six  weeks  thereafter,  having  come  to  the  city,  with  her  infant,  she 
sickened  and  died  of  the  small  pox.  After  four  years  (in  1760), 
Mr.  Van  Arsdale  married  Catherine,  daughter  of  James  Mills, 
deputy-sheriff  of  New  York  .  Ten  years  later,  weary  of  his  charge, 
then  at  the  New  Jail,  built  in  1757-9  (the  Provost  of  the  Revolu- 
tion,  and  now  the  Hall  of  Records)  ;  he  resigned  it,  bought  a 
schooner,  and  engaged  in  the  more  congenial  pursuit  of  market- 
ing produce. 

The  Revolution  coming  on,  Capt.  Van  Arsdale  entered  with  his 
vessel  into  the  American  service,  supplied  our  army  at  New  York 
with  fuel  brought  from  Hdckensack  (the  Asia  man-of-war  once 
taking  his  wood  and  paying  him  in  continental  bills),  and  after- 
wards helped  to  sink  the  chevaux-de-frize  in  the  Hudson,  opposite 
Fort  Washington.  In;  this  arduous  work  he  was  aided  by  his  son 
John,  then  lately  returned  from  the  Canada  expedition.  The  day 
the  enemy  entered  the  City  he  conveyed  his  family  to  his  vessel 
at  Stryker's  Bay,  and,  crowded  with  fugitives,  made  good  his 
escape  up  the  Hudson  to  Murdner's  Creek.  Here  his  companion, 
who  had  borne  him  eleven  children,  died  in  1779  ;  but  he  survived 
not  only  to  witness  the  war  brought  to  a  happy  close,  but  long 
enough  to  see  much  of  the  waste  repaired,  and  the  greatness  of 
his  country  assured.  Respected  and  beloved  for  his  amiable 
qualities  and  exemplary  Christian  character,  Capt.  Van  Arsdale, 
the  elder,  died  in  1798  at  the  residence  of  his  son-in-law,  Mr. 
William  Sherwood,  at  "The  Creek." 

The  junior  Van  Arsdale  would  have  been  unworthy  his  honest 
ancestry  had  he  not  possessed  in  a  good  degree  the  same  stability 
of  character.  Bereft  of  a  mother's  love  at  so  early  an  age,  John 
was  tenderly  reared  at  his  grandfather  Van  Pelt's  till  his  father 
married  again.  Then  New  York  became  his  home  for  ten  years 
or  more,  during  which  time  his  playground  was  the  Green  (now 
City  Hall  Park)  with  the  fields  adjacent  to  the  New  Jail,  of  which 


26 


his  father  still  hud  the  custody.  The  times  were  turbulent,  and 
many  stirring  scenes  passed  under  his  boyish  eyes.  One  was 
the  Soldiers'  Riot,  in  1764,  when  the  jail  was  assaulted  and  broken 
into  by  a  party  of  riotous  soldiers,  with  design  to  release  a 
prisoner,  and  in  which  Mr.  Mills,  in  resisting  them,  was  rudely 
handled  and  wounded.  And  the  gatherings,  hardly  less 
tumultuous,  of  the  "  Sons  of  Liberty  "  to  oppose  the  Stamp  Act, 
or  celebrate  its  repeal,  by  raising  liberty  poles,  which  were 
several  times  cut  down  and  replaced,  all  serving  to  implant  in  his 
young  mind  an  abhorrence  of  foreign  rule,  with  the  germs  of 
that  patriotism  which  matured  an  he  grew  in  years.*  But  an 
elder  brother  Tunis  (his  only  own  brother  living,  save  Christopher, 
a  brassfounder,  who  died,  unmarried,  in  the  West  Indies  in  1773), 
having  served  an  apprenticeship  with  Fronce  Mandeville,  of 
Moodna,  blacksmith,  married,  in  1771,  Jennie  "Wear,  of  the  town  of 
Montgomery,  and  the  next  spring  began  married  life  on  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres,  which  he  had  purchased,  lying  in  that  part  of  Han- 
over Precinct  (now  Montgomery)  called  Neelytown.  Much 
attached  to  Tunis,  John  thereafter  spent  several  years  with  him, 
attending  school. 

But  now  the  growing  controversy  between  the  Colonies  and  the 
mother  country  had  ripened  into  actual  hostilities;  the  first 
aggressive  movement  in  which  this  Colony  took  part  being  the 
expedition  against  Canada,  planned  in  the  summer  of  1775.  It 
fired  young  Van  Arsdale's  patriotism,  and  about  August  25th  he 
enlisted  under  Capt.  Jacobus  Wynkoop,  of  the  Fourth  New  York 
Regiment,  James  Holmes  being  the  colonel  and  Philip  Van 
Cortlandt  the  lieutenant-colonel.  These  forces,  proceeding 
up  the  Hudson,  entered  Canada  by  way  of  lakes  George 
and  Champlain ;  part  of  the  Fourth  Regiment,  under  Major 
Barnabas  Tuthill,  taking  part  in  the  brilliant  assault  upon 
Quebec,  December  31st,  but  unsuccessful,  and  fatal  to  the  gallant 
leader,  General  Montgomery,  and  numbers  of  his  men.  On  their 
way  to  Quebec,  and  especially  in  crossing  the  lakes  on  the  ice, 
Van  Arsdale  and  his  comrades  suffered  so  intensely  from  the 
extreme  cold  that  the  hardsliips  and  incidents  of  this,  his  first 
campaign,  remained  fresh  in  his  memory  even  till  old  age. 
Van  Arsdale  having  "served  his  time  out  in  the  year's  ser- 
vice, returned  to  New  York,"  where  the  Americans  were 

*  Opposite  the  jail  stood,  in  those  days,  a  public  whipping  post, 
fctocks,  etc.,  the  terror  of  law-breakers,  and  by  which  leaser  crimes  were 
expiated.  The  late  Abraham  Van  Arsdale,  born  the  year  of  the  Sol- 
diers' Riot  (and  old  enough  to  fly  his  kite,  as  he  did,  from  the  roof 
of  the  prison,  while  his  father  kept  it),  well  remembered  these  in- 
struments of  justice,  and  informed  me  thit  he  had  seen  gallows  erected 
aud  persons  executed,  in  front  of  the  jail.  They  then  huno  for 
stealing! 


concentrating  troops,  in  order  to  oppose  the  royal  forces 
expected  from  Europe.  Here  he  assisted  his  father  on  board 
the  schooner  in  sinking  the  obstructions  in  the  Hudson, 
as  beforetioticed,  and  when  the  enemy  captured  the  city,  accom- 
panied him  to  Orange  County.  It  was  on  Sept.  16th,  1776, 
that  the  British  forces  landed  at  Kip's  Bay,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  island,  three  miles  out  of  the  city.  A  great  many  of  the  citi- 
zens who  were  friends  of  their  country,  made  a  precipitate  flight, 
and  the  roads  were  lined  with  vehicles  of  every  kind,  removing 
furniture,  etc.  The  elder  Van  Arsdale,  with  difficulty,  and  only 
by,  paying  down  $200,  got  the  use  of  a  horse  and  wagon  to  take 
his  family  and  effects  from  his  house  to  the  schooner,  lying  in 
Stryker's  Bay.  While  drawing  a  load,  a  spent  cannon  ball 
knocked  off  one  of  the  wagon  wheels,  at  which  his  little  son 
Corneliiis,  but  eight  years  old,  was  so  frightened  that  he  never 
forgot  it.  The  schooner  was  crowded  to  excess  with  citizens  and 
their  families,  all  eager  to  get  away,  and  for  fear  they  might  sink 
her,  Capt.  Van  Arsdale  was  obliged  to  turn  off  some  who  applied 
for  a  passage.  They  left  deeply  loaded,  and  in  their  haste  were 
obliged  to  take  with  them  a  lot  of  military  stores  which  were  on 
board.  Arriving  at  Murdner's  Creek,  John,  at  his  father's  re- 
quest, and  taking  his  brother  Abraham,  set  out  afoot  for  Neely- 
town,  to  inform  their  brother  Tunis  of  their  arrival.  The  journey 
of  twelve  miles  seemed  sbort,  and  ere  long  the  well-kuown  farm- 
house hove  in  sight,  seated  a  little  way  back,  and  to  which  led  a 
lane  between  rows  of  young  cherry  trees,  and  near  it  on  the  road 
the  low,  dusky  smith-shop,  with  its  debris  of  cinders,  old  wheel- 
tires  and  broken  iron-work  strewn  about.  Entering,  as  Tunis, 
with  his  back  towards  them,  stood  at  the  forge  heating  his  iron, 
and  his  assistant,  Aleck  Bodle,  lazily  blowing  the  bellows,  the 
first  surprize  was  only  surpassed,  when  after  hearty  greetings, 
they  imparted  the  startling  news  of  the  capture  of  New  York  by 
the  British,  and  that  their  father,  having  barely  escaped  with  his 
vessel,  had  arrived  at  the  Creek.  At  once  out  went  the  fire,  and 
out  went  Tunis  also  to  harness  his  horses,  in  order  to  go  and  bring 
up  the  rest  of  the  family  ;  but  on  second  thought,  as  the  day  was 
far  spent,  he  concluded  to  await  the  morrow.  The  next  day  there 
was  a  joyoas  reunion  at  the  farm-house,  but  tempered  with  many 
sad  comments  upon  the  doleful  situation. 

John  spent  the  winter  with  his  brother  Tunis,  aiding  in  farm 
work  and  at  the  forge ;  he  had  just  reached  his  majority,  and 
found  congenial  spirits  in  Alexander  Bodle  and  Joseph  Elder, 
then  serving  apprenticeships  with  Tunis,  and  afterwards  much 
respected  residents  of  Orange  County.  Around  the  evening  fire- 
side they  indulged  in  many  a  joke,  when  laughter  made  the  wel- 
kin ring,  or  behind  the  well-fed  pacer,  were  borne  in  the  clumsy 


28 

box  sled,  with  the  gingle  of  merry  bells,  to  the  rustic  frolic  ;  but 
the  bounds  of  decorum  were  never  exceeded,  and  lips  which  could 
tell  all  about  it,  bore  us  pleasing  witness  to  Van  Arsdale's  correct 
habits  and  deportment  at  a  stage  of  life  so  beset  with  syren  snares 
for  the  unwary,  and  which  commonly  moulds  the  character. 

But  nevertheless  the  winter  was  one  of  great  military  activity, 
especially  among  the  organized  militia  of  Orange  County,  in 
which  (in  the  town  of  New  Windsor)  was  the  sub-district  of  Little 
Britain,  the  home  of  the  Clintons  ;*  the  menacing  attitude  of  the 
enemy  under  Lord  Howe,  who  had  approached  as  near  as  Hack- 
ensack,  and  the  protection  of  the  passes  of  the  Highlands,  requir- 
ing frequent  calls  upon  the  yeomanry  to  take  the  field.  The 
inhabitants  of  Hanover  Precinct,  which  precinct  joined  on  New 
Windsor,  had  from  the  first  shown  great  spirit ;  their  Association, 
dated  May  8th,  1775,  in  which  they  pledge  their  support  to  the 
Continental  Congress,  &c.,  in  resisting  "the  several  arbitrary  and 
oppressive  acts  of  the  British  Parliaments,"  and  "  in  the  most 
solemn  manner  resolve  never  to  become  slaves,"  is  signed  first  by 
Dr.  Charles  Clinton  and  presents  342  names.  The  Precinct  in 
the  winter  of  1776-7,  contained  four  militia  companies,  under 
Captains  Matthew  Felter,  James  Milliken,  Hendrick  Van  Keu- 
ren  and  James  McBride,  and  these  were  attached  to  a  regiment  of 
which  that  sterling  patriot,  James  McClaughry,  of  Little  Britain, 
brother  in  law  to  the  Clintons,  was  lieutenant  colonel  command- 
ant, t  Tunis  and  John  Van  Arsdale  lived  in  Capt.  Van  Keuren's 
beat.  The  Captain  was  a  veteran  of  the  last  French  war,  and  it 
gave  him  prestige,  in  the  command  to  which  he  had  been  recently 
promoted.  He  had  "  warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  his  country, 
and  evinced  unshaken  firmness  throughout  the  whole  of  the  con- 
test." Col.  McClaughry  had  taken  the  field  with  his  regiment 
early  in  the  winter,  proceeding  dowa  into  Jersey,  and  of  which, 
on  his  return,  Jan.  1st,  he  gave  a  humorous  account  to  Gen. 
Clinton  ;  but  though  highly  probable,  we  have  no  positive  evi- 
dence that  John  Van  Arsdale  went  into  actual  service  till  the 
spring  opened. 

Forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton,  begun  in  1775,  stood  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Hudson,  opposite  Anthony's  Nose,  at  a  very  im- 
portant pass,  where  the  river  was  narrow,  easily  obstructed,  and 

*  To  avoid  confusion,  we  speak  here  and  elsewhere  of  Orange 
County  as  now  organized.  Previous  to  1 798,  it  embraced  the  present 
Rockland  County,  while  the  town  of  New  Windsor,  and  all  those  towns 
lying  to  the  north  of  a  line  running  west  from  the  southern  boundary 
of  N»  w  Windsor  belonged  to  Ulster  County.  Of  course,  Little  Britain, 
and  the  Precinct  of  Hanover  were  then  in  Ulster. 

t  JAMES  CLINTON  had  been  colonel  of  this  regiment,  till  appointed  a 
brigadier  general. 


29 


from  the  elevation  which  the  forts  occupied,  was  commanded  a 
great  distance  up  and  down.  Fort  Clinton  was  below  Fort 
Montgomery,  distant  only  about  six  hundred  yards,  the 
Poplopen  Kill  running  through  a  ravine  between  them  ;  the 
fortress  was  small,  but  (more  complete  than  Fort  Montgomery, 
and  stood  at  a  greater  elevation,  being  23  feet  the  highest,  and 
123  feet  above  the  river.  These  posts  were  distant  (southeast) 
from  the  Clinton  mansion  only  about  sixteen  miles.  The  two 
fortresses  required  a  thousand  men  for  their  proper  defense,  but 
till  early  in  1777,  had  usually  been  in  charge  of  a  very  small 
force  under  Gen.  James  Clinton.  The  time  of  these  soldiers 
expiring  on  the  last  day  of  March,  Col.  Lewis  Dubois,  with 
the  Fifth  New  York  Regiment  was  sent  to  garrison  Fort 
Montgomery. 

A  meeting  of  the  field  officers  of  Orange  and  Ulster,  was  held 
at  Mrs.  Falls'  in  Little  Britain,  March  31st,  1777,  pursuant  to  a 
resolve  of  the  New  York  Convention  empowering  General  George 
Clinton,  lately  appointed  commandant  of  the  forts  in  the  High- 
lands, to  call  out  the  militia  "  to  defend  this  State  against  the 
incursions  of  our  implacable  enemies,  and  reinforce  the  garri- 
sons of  Fort  Montgomery,  defend  the  post  of  Sidnam's  Bridge 
(near  Hackensack),  and  afford  protection  to  the  distressed  inhabit- 
ants." It  was  there  resolved,  with  great  spirit,  to  call  one-third 
of  each  of  the  several  regiments  into  actual  service,  to  the  num- 
ber of  1,200,  and  to  form  them  into  three  teuipurary  regiments, 
of  which  two  should  garrison  Fort  Montgomery,  under  Colonel 
Levi  Pawling  (with  Lt.  Col.  McClaughry),  and  Col.  Johannes 
Snyder.  As  the  men  were  raised  they  were  to  march  in  detach- 
ments to  that  post,  and  were  to  serve  till  August  1st,  and  receive 
continental  pay  and  rations.  Each  captain  was  forthwith  direct- 
ed to  raise  his  quota,  and  "  in  the  most  just  and  equitable 
manner. " 

John  Van  Arsdale  was  among  those  chosen  from  his  beat,  and 
sometime  in  April,  borrowing  from  his  brother  an  old  but  trusty 
musket,  proceeded  to  Fort  Montgomery.  Being  of  a  resolute, 
active  temperament,  with  a  knowledge  of  tactics,  and  an  aptness 
to  command,  he  was  made  a  corporal ;  an  evidence  of  the  good 
opinion  entertained  of  him  by  his  officers,  flattering  to  one  of 
his  years.  It  was  also  in  his  favor  that  he  was  a  good  penman, 
and  had  acquired  a  fair  English  education  foi  the  times. 
Drilling  Ms  squad,  placing  and  relieving  the  guards,  and 
other  daily  routine  duty,  gave  our  young  corporal  enough 
to  do,  while  the  courts  for  the  trial  of  some  notorious 
tories,  held  at  that  post,  during  the  spring  and  summer,  added 
to  frequent  alarms  due  to  indications  that  the  enemy  from  below 
meditated  an  attack  upon  the  forts,  kept  everything  lively.  Ou 


30 


July  2nd,  Gen.  Clinton,  upon  a  hint  from  Wf  shington  that  Lord 
Howe,  in  order  to  favor  Burgoyne,  might  attempt  to  seize  the 
passes  of  the  Highlands,  and  "make  him  a  very  hasty  visit,  " 
-with  which  view,  accounts  given  by  deserters  from  New  York 
coincided;  immediately  repaired  to  Fort  Montgomery,  after 
first  ordering  to  that  post  the  full  regiment  of  Col.  McClaughry, 
with  those  of  Colonels  William  Allison,  Jesse  Woodhull,  and 
Jonathan  Hasbrouck.  The  militia  came  in  with  great  alacrity, 
almost  to  a  man.  But  ten  days  passed  without  a  sign  of  the 
enemy.  Parties  went  daily  on  the  Dunderbergh  (Thunder  Moun- 
tain) to  look  down  the  river,  but  could  not  see  a  single  vessel ; 
then,  as  usual,  when  there  was  no  immediate  prospect  of  any 
thing  to  do,  the  transient  militia  became  uneasy,  and  were 
allowed  to  go  home  in  the  belief  that  they  would  turn  out  more 
cheerfully  the  next  time. 

But  as  the  term  of  service  of  those  called  out  in  April  expired 
on  August  1st,  on  that  date  another  call  was  made  by  Gov.  Clin- 
ton on  the  respective  regiments,  to  make  up  eight  companies,  by 
ballot  or  other  equitable  mode,  and  to  march  with  due  expedition 
to  Fort  Montgomery,  and  there  put  themselves  under  command 
of  Colonel  Allison,  with  McClaughry  as  his  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
They  were  to  draw  continental  pay,  etc.  In  this  instance  no 
immediate  danger  being  apprehended,  the  militia  did  not  respond 
very  promptly,  although  much  needed  to  replace  part  of  the  con- 
tinental force  which  had  been  withdrawn  for  other  service. 
Again,  on  August  5th,  Clinton,  by  virtue  of  threatening  news  from 
Gen.  Washington,  directed  Allison  and  McClaughry  to  march  all 
the  militia  to  Fort  Montgomery,  except  the  frontier  companies, 
which  were  to  be  left  for  home  protection.  But  repeated  orders 
to  urge  them  forward  were  but  partially  successful.  September 
closed,  the  quotas  were  far  from  complete,  orders  then  issued  by 
Allison,  McClaughry,  and  Hasbrouck  (by  direction  of  Clinton) 
for  half  their  regiments  to  repair  to  Fort  Montgomery  were  but 
slowly  complied  with,  and  the  delay  was  fatal  !  Van  Arsdale  had 
re-enlisted  and  held  his  former  position.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
he  made  the  aquaintance  of  Elnathan  Sears,  and  which  ripened 
into  friendship  under  very  trying  circumstances. 

Forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton  at  this  date  mounted  thirty-two 
cannon,  rating  from  6  to  32  pounders.  The  garrison  consisted  of 
two  companies  of  Col.  John  Lamb's  artillery,  under  Capts.  An- 
drew Moodie  and  Jonathan  Brown  (one  in  each  fort)  and  parts  of 
the  regiments  of  Cols.  Dubois,  Allison,  Hasbrouck,  Woodhull  and 
McClaughry  with  a  very  few  from  other  regiments.  Thus  matters 
stood  on  Sunday,  October  5th,  1777. 

Hark  !  what  bustling  haste — of  people  running  to  and  fro, — 
has  suddenly  disturbed  the  Sabbath  evening's  repose  at  Neely- 


31 


town?  Tidings  have  just  reached  them  that  the  enemy's  vessels 
are  ascending  the  Hudson  with  the  obvious  design  of  attacking 
Fort  Montgomery  and  the  neighboring  posts.  The  orders  are  for 
every  man  able  to  shoulder  a  musket  to  hasten  to  their  assist- 
ance !  This  was  grave  intelligence  for  the  inmates  at  the  Van 
Arsdale  home  (and  which  may  serve  to  represent  many  others),  but 
the  call  of  duty  could  not  be  disregarded.  For  most  of  the  night 
the  good  wife  was  occupied  in  baking  and  putting  up  provisions 
for  Tunis  and  his  two  apprentices  to  take  with  them,  while  these 
were  as  busy  cleaning  their  muakets,  moulding  bullets,  etc.,  that 
naught  might  be  wanting  for  the  stern  business  before  them. 
Towards  morning,  taking  one  or  two  hours  rest,  they  arose, 
equipped  themselves,  and  made  ready  for  the  journey  to  the  fort, 
which  was  full  twenty  miles  distant.  As  the  parting  moment  had 
come,  the  kind  father  kissed  his  three  little  ones  tenderly,  then 
uttered  in  the  ear  of  liis  sorrowing  Jennie  the  sad  good-bye,  and 
with  the  others  hastened  from  the  house,  his  wife  attending  him  to 
the  road,  and  weeping  bitterly  for  she  understood  but  too  well  that 
it  might  be  the  final  parting.  Her  longing  eyes  followed  them 
till  they  disappeared  beyond  an  intervening  hill.  "  Oh  !  "  said 
she  to  the  writer  more  than  sixty  years  afterwards,  as  she  related 
these  facts,  her  eyes  even  then  suffused  with  tears,  "  You  may 
read  of  these  things,  but  you  can  never  feel  them  as  I  did.  I 
wept  much  during  those  seven  years." 

During  the  day,  those  whose  kinsmen  had  gone  to  the  battle 
met  here  and  there  in  little  bands  to  condole  with  each  other,  and 
talk  over  the  unhappy  situation.  Later,  the  boom  of  distant  artil- 
lery awakened  their  worst  fears,  for  now  were  they  sure  that  those 
dear  to  them  were  engaged  in  a  mortal  conflict  with  the  enemy. 
The  shades  of  evening  closing  around,  brought  no  relief  to  their 
burdened  hearts ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  most  torturing  sus- 
pense as  to  the  issue  of  the  battle.  To  make  the  situation  more 
depressing,  there  came  on  a  cold  raiu,  and  the  dreariness  without 
was  a  fit  index  of  the  desolate  hearts  within.  At  a  late  hour  Mrs. 
Van  Arsdale  retired  to  her  sleepless  pillow  ;  but  her  case  found  its 
counterpart  in  many  an  anxious  household  over  a  large  section  of 
country. 

At  length  morning  broke  upon  that  unhappy  neighborhood, 
and  with  it  came  persons  from  the  battle  bringing  the  appalling 
news  that  the  Americans  had  been  defeated,  and  many  of  them 
slain,  or  made  prisoners,  and  that  the  enemy  were  in  full  posses- 
sion of  the  forts.  Then  other  parties  arrived  whose  woe-stricken 
faces  only  confirmed  the  sad  intelligence.  Soon  anxious  inquiries 
sped  from  house  to  house  where  any  lived  who  had  escaped  from 
the  slaughter,  to  learn  about  this  one  and  that,  who  had  gone  to 
the  battle,  but  had  not  returned.  Jennie  could  get  no  tidings  of 


her  husband,  though  she  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  day  in 
watching  on  the  road,  and  several  times  even  fancied  that  she  saw 
him  coming  ;  but  alas  !  only  to  find  it  a  delusion.  It  added  to  her 
fears  for  her  husband,  when  a  neighbor  named  Monell,  at  whose 
house  she  called,  met  her  with  the  sorrowful  news  that  his  brother, 
Robert  Monell,  first  lieutenant  in  Capt.  Van  Keuren's  company, 
had  been  killed  in  the  battle.  At  length  the  apprentices  arrived, 
their  faces  begrimed  with  powder,  and  one  of  them  crying  for  his 
brother,  who  had  been  shot  down  by  his  side,  and  died  instantly.  * 
The  other,  who  was  Joseph  Elder,  before  spoken  of,  a  young 
man  of  giant  frame,  had  narrowly  escaped  death,  having  his  hat 
and  jacket  pierced  with  bullets  in  the  engagement !  Bat  having 
been  separated  from  Mr.  Van  Arsdale,  they  had  not  seen  him 
since  the  battle,  and  so  were  ignorant  as  to  his  fate.  The  wretch- 
ed woman  was  in  dispair ;  many  of  her  neighbors  had  now 
returned  and  the  prolonged  absence  of  her  Tunis  seemed  to  for- 
bode  that  he  had  either  been  killed  or  captured  by  the  enemy. 
But  now  still  others  arrive,  and  she  is  led  from  their  statements, 
to  hope  that  Tunis  has  escaped,  and  is  making  his  way  homeward 
through  the  mountains.  Her  heart  leaps  with  joy,  and  she 
returns  to  the  house,  and  even  indulges  a  laugh  as  her  eye  gets 
a  sight  of  the  mush  kettle  still  hanging  on  the  trammel,  as  she 
placed  it  there  in  the  morning  ;  no  meal  stirred  in,  and  she  hav 
ing  eaten  nothing  the  whole  day.  Towards  night  Tunis  arrived, 
on  horseback,  with  his  brother-in-law  William  Wear,  who  at 
Jennie's  request,  had  gone  out  some  distance  tj  look  for  him.+ 
He  was  fast  asleep  from  exhaustion  when  they  reached  the  house, 
(Wear  behind  him  and  holding  him  on  the  horse),  and  his  face  so 

*  Believed  to  have  been  James  Thompson,  whose  brother  John  was 
killed  at  Fort  Montgomery.  Others  slain  in  McCLaughry's  regiment 
were  Capts.  James  Milliken  and  Jacobus  Roosa,  Lieut.  Nathaniel  Mil- 
liken,  and  Privates  Theophilus  Corwin,  David  Benson,  James  Gage, 
David  Halliday,  etc. 

t  The  WEA.BS,  respectable  Protestants  from  the  north  of  Ireland, 
were  noted  for  longevity.  William  Wear,  their  ancestor,  dying,  his 
widow  with  two  children,  William  and  Jennie,  emigrated  to  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1749,  and  thence  in  1760  to  the  town  of  Montgomery.  Mrs. 
Wear  died  at  her  daughter's  house  December  3,  1803,  aged  92  years. 
Her  son  William,  named  iu  the  text,  resided  near  Orange  Lake,  had  a 
numerous  family,  and  attained  the  age  of  !)7  years.  He  died  November 
7,  1828,  and  was  ancestor  of  William  Wear,  Esq.  Mrs.  Van  Arsdale 
was  born  March  31,  174(>,  as  maintained  by  her  brother,  who  was 
much  the  oldest,  and  hence  was  in  her  100th  year  at  her  decease,. 
September  17,  1845.  Her  husband,  Tunis,  died  April  9,  1813,  aged  «7 
years.  This  worthy  pair  united  with  the  Walkill  Church  iu  1782. 
Mrs.  V.  was  a  woman  of  remarkable  energy,  and  retained  her  faculties 
till  the  last,  almost  perfectly.  Her  memory  extended  back  to  the 
closiug  events  in  the  life  of  Stcffel  Van  Arsdale,  her  husband's  grand- 
futher,  and  she  lived  to  see  his  descendants  of  the  sixth  generation. 


33 


blackened  with  powder  that  his  wife  hardly  knew  him.  He  was 
much  depressed  in  spirits,  but  grateful  to  God  who  had  preserved 
and  restored  Vnm  to  his  family  and  friends.  That  evening  brought 
in  his  captain,  Van  Keuren,  who  for  some  cause  was  not  in  the 
fight,  with  his  minister,  Rev.  Andrew  King,  and  many  other 
neighbors — a  house  full, — some  to  congratulate  Van  Arsdale  on 
his  escape,  others,  with  anxious  faces  to  inquire  after  missing 
friends,  and  others  still  to  learn  the  particulars  of  the  battle. 
The  account  he  gave  of  what  happened  after  leaving  home  for  the 
scene  of  conflict,  was  briefly  as  follows  : 

A  walk  of  several  hours  brought  them  to  a  little  stream  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill  upon  which  Fort  Montgomery  stood,  and  where 
they  had  intended  to  stop  and  eat  their  dinner;  but  hearing  a  great 
deal  of  noise  and  bustle  in  the  fort,  they-only  took  a  drink  from 
the  brook,  and  hastened  up  into  the  works,  when  they  soon 
learned  that  a  large  body  of  the  enemy  had  landed  below  the 
Dunderbergh,  and  were  advancing  by  a  circuitous  route  to  attack 
the  fort  in  the  rear.  About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  Brit- 
ish columns  appeared,  and  pressed  on  to  the  assault  with  bayo- 
nets fixed.  But  our  men  poured  down  upon  them  such  a  destruc- 
tive fire  of  bullets  and  grape  shot  that  they  fell  in  heaps,  and  were 
kept  at  bay  till  night-fall,  when  our  folks,  being  worn  out  by  con- 
tinued fighting,  and  overpowered  by  numbers,  were  obliged  to 
give  way.  Then  Gov.  Clinton  told  them  to  escape  for  their  lives, 
when  many  fought  their  way  out,  or  scrambled  over  the  wall, 
and  so  got  away.  It  must  have  fared  badly  with  the  rest,  as  the 
enemy  after  entering  the  fort  continued  to  stab,  knock  down  and 
kill  our  soldiers  without  pity.  Favored  by  the  darkness,  Tunis 
attempted  to  escape  through  one  of  the  entrances,  though  it  was 
nearly  blocked  up  by  the  assailing  column,  and  the  heaps  of 
killed -and  wounded;  but  presently,  as  an  English  soldier  held  a 
militiaman  bayoneted  against  the  wall,  Tunis,  stooping  down, 
slipped  between  the  Briton's  legs,  and  escaped  around  the  fort 
toward  the  river.  He  said  he  had  gone  but  a  little  way,  when  a 
cry  of  distress,  evidently  from  a  young  person,  arrested  his  atten- 
tion. A  poor  boy,  in  making  his  escape,  had  fallen  into  a  crevice 
in  the  rocks,  and  was  unable  to  extricate  himself.  Tunis,  at  no 
little  risk,  crept  down  to  where  the  lad  was  and  drew  him  out, 
but  in  doing  so  hurt  himself  quite  badly,  by  scraping  one  of  his 
legs  on  a  sharp  rock.  He  then  gained  the  river  and  found  a  skiff; 
in  which  he  and  two  or  three  others  crossed  over.  Then  a  party 
of  them  travelled  in  Indian  file,  through  the  darkness  and  cold 
drizzling  rain,  stopping  once  at  the  house  of  a  frieadly  farmer, 
where  they  got  some  food,  and  as  the  day  broke  entered  Fishkill; 
whence  they  crossed  to  New  Windsor,  and  there  met  Gov.  Clinton 
and  many  more  who  had  made  good  their  escape.  All  felt  greatly 


dispirited,  but  the  Governor  tried  to  cheer  them,  remarking : 
"Well,  my  boys,  we've  been  badly  beaten  this  time,  but  have 
courage,  the  next  time  the  day  may  be  ours."  Without  much  de- 
lay Mr.  Van  Arsdale  set  out  for  home,  as  fast  as  his  lameness  ad- 
mitted of,  knowing  how  great  anxiety  would  be  felt  on  his  ac- 
count. But  of  his  brother  John ;  he  had  no  knowledge  of  what 
had  befallen  him,  and  indulged  the  worst  fears  as  to  his  fate. 

Such  in  brief  was  Van  Arsdale's  account  of  that  sanguinary 
affair,  divested  of  many  little  particulars  of  the  battle  and  its 
sequel.  But  his  limited  observation  could  include  but  a  small 
part  of  what  passed  on  that  most  eventful  day,  as  we  are  now 
able  to  gather  it  from  many  sources. 

With  a  view  to  cooperate  with  General  Burgoyne,  who  had 
invaded  the  State  from  the  north,  Lieutenant- General  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  having  a  force  of  about  3, 000  men,  sailed  from  New  York 
on  the  4th  of  October,  with  the  design  of  reducing  the  forts  in 
the  Highlands,  and,  if  possible,  open  communication  with  Bur- 
goyne's  army.  The  same  night  their  advance  as  far  as  Tarrytown 
was  known  at  Fort  Montgomery,  and  that  they  had  landed  a  large 
force  at  that  place.  The  next  morning  (Sunday)  advices  were 
received  that  they  had  reached  King's  Ferry,  connecting  Ver- 
plank's  and  Stony  Point.  That  afternoon  they  landed  a  large 
body  of  men  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  to  divert  attention  from 
the  real  point  of  attack,  but  they  re-embarked  in  the  night.  An 
extract  from  Sir  Henry  Clinton's  report  to  General  Howe,  dated 
Fort  Montgomery,  October  9th,  will  begin  at  this  point,  and  form 
a  proper  introduction  to  our  side  of  the  story.  Says  he  : 

"  At  day-break  on  the  6th  the  troops  disembarked  at  Stony 
Point.  The  avant-garde  of  500  regulars  and  400  provincials,* 
commanded  by  Lieut. -Col.  Campbell,  with  Col.  Robinson,  of  the 
provincials,  under  him,  began  its  march  to  occupy  the  pass  of 
Thunder-hill  (Dunderbergh).  This  avant-garde,  after  it  had 
passed  that  mountain,  was  to  proceed  by  a  detour  of  seven  miles 
round  the  hill  (called  Bear  Hill),  and  deboucher  in  the  rear-of 
Fort  Montgomery ;  while  Gen.  Vaughan,  with  1200  men,f  was  to 
continue  his  march  towards  Fort  Clinton,  covering  the  corps 
under  Lieut. -Col.  Campbell,  and  aportee  to  cooperate,  by  attack- 
ing Fort  Clinton,  or,  in  case  of  misfortune,  to  favor  the  retreat. 
Major-Gen.  Tryon,  with  the  remainder,  being  the  rear  guard,}  to 

*  The  52d  and  27th  Regiments,  the  Royal  Amencau  Regiment,  Col. 
Beverly  Robinson,  the  New  York  Volunteers,  Major  Grant,  and 
Emerick's  Provincial  Chasseurs . 

t  Grenadiers  and  Light  Infantry,  the  2Gth  and  63d  Regiments,  one 
company  of  the  71st  Highlanders,  one  troop  of  dismounted  dragoons, 
and  Hessian  Chasseurs. 

|  The  Royal  Fusileers  and  Hessian  Regiment  of  Trumback. 


35 


leave  a  battalion  at  the   pass  of  Thunder-hill,  to  open  our  com- 
munication "with  the  fleet. 

"  Your  Excellency  recollecting  the  many,  and  I  may  say  extra- 
ordinary difficulties  of  this  march  over  the  mountains,  every  natu- 
ral obstruction,  and  all  that  art  could  invent  to  add  to  them,  -will 
not  be  surprised  that  the  corps  intended  to  attack  Fort  Mont- 
gomery in  the  rear,  could  not  get  to  its  ground  before  five  o'clock  ; 
about  which  time  I  ordered  Gen.  Vaughan's  corps,  aportee,  to  be- 
gin the  attack  on  Fort  Clinton,  to  push,  if  possible,  and  dislodge 
the  enemy  from  their  advanced  station  behind  a  stone  breast- 
work, having  in  front  for  half  a  mile  a  most  impenetrable  abatis. 
This  the  General,  by  his  good  disposition,  obliged  the  enemy  to 
quit,  though  supported  by  cannon ;  got  possession  of  the  wall, 
and  there  waited  the  motion  of  the  cooperating  troops, — when  I 
joined  him,  and  soon  afterwards  heard  Lieut.  Col.  Campbell  be- 
gin the  attack.  I  chose  to  wait  a  favorable  moment  before  I 
ordered  the  attack  on  the  side  of  Fort  Clinton,  which  was  a  circu- 
lar height,  defended  by  a  line  for  musketry,  with  a  barbet-battery 
in  the  centre,  of  three  guns,  and  flanked  by  two  redoubts ;  the 
approaches  to  it  through  a  continued  abatis  of  four  hundred 
yards,  defensive  every  inch,  and  exposed  to  the  fire  of  ten  pieces 
of  cannon.  As  the  night  was  approaching,  I  determined  to  seize 
the  first  favorable  instant.  A  brisk  attack  on  the  Fort  Montgom- 
ery side,  the  gallies  with  their  oars  approaching,  firing  and  even 
striking  the  fort,  the  men-of-war  at  that  moment  appearing, 
crowding  all  sail  to  support  us,  the  extreme  ardor  of  the  troops, 
in  short,  all  detei  mined  me  to  order  the  attack  ;  Gen.  Vaughan's 
spirited  behavior  and  good  conduct  did  the  rest.  Having  no 
time  to  lose,  I  particularly  ordered  that  not  a  shot  should  be  fired  ; 
in  this  I  was  strictly  obeyed,  and  both  redoubts,  &c.,  were 
stormed.*  Gen.  Try  on  advanced  with  one  battalion  to  support 
Gen.  Vaughan,  in  case  it  might  be  necessary,  and  he  arrived  in 
time  to  join  in  the  cry  of  victory  ! 

"  Trumbach's  Eegiment  was  posted  at  the  stone  wall  to  cover 
our  retreat,  in  case  of  misfortune.  The  nigh t^  being  dark,  it  was 
near  eight  o'clock  before  we  could  be  certain  of  the  success  of 
the  attack  against  Fort  Montgomery,  which  we  afterwards  found 
had  succeeded  at  the  same  instant  that  of  Fort  Clinton  did  ;  and 
that  by  the  excellent  disposition  of  Lieut.  Col.  Campbell,  who 
was  unfortunately  killed  on  the  first  attack,  but  was  seconded  by 
Col.  Robinson,  of  the  loyal  American  Regiment,  by  whose  knowl- 
edge of  the  country  I  was  much  aided  in  forming  my  plan,  and 


*  This  refers  only  to  the  final  assault;  the  enemy  fired  upon  our 
people  both  in  the  preliminary  skirmishes  and  after  they  were  masters 
of  the  forts.  J.  R. 


36 

to  whose  spirited  conduct  in  the  execution  of  it,  I  impute  in  a 
great  measure  the  success  of  the  enterprise." 

From  this  official  account  by  the  British  commander,  we  shall 
better  understand  the  statements  (including  Gov.  Clinton's  report) 
left  us  by  the  brave  defenders  of  the  two  beleaguered  fortressess ; 
and  which  will  properly  begin  upon  the  day  preceding  the 
battle. 

On  Sunday  night  Gov.  Clinton,  who  had  just  arrived  and  taken 
command  at  Fort  Montgomery,  (the  defense  of  Fort  Clintou 
being  intrusted  to  his  brother  Gen,  James  Clinton),  sent  out  a 
party  of  about  100  men  under  Major  Samuel  Logan  of  the  5th, 
or  Dubois's  regiment,  across  the  Dunderbergh  to  watch  the 
motions  of  the  enemy.  The  party  returned  in  the  morning  and 
reported  that  they  had  seen  about  forty  boats  full  of  men  land 
below  the  Dunderbergh.  The  real  intention  of  the  enemy  was 
now  apparent.  Hereupon  the  Governor  s>ent  out  another  party 
of  observation,  consisting  of  30  men,  under  Lieut.  Paton  Jackson 
(5th  regiment)  who  took  the  road  that  led  to  Haverstraw ; 
when  at  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  having  reached  a 
point  some  two  miles  and  a  half  below  Fort  Montgomery, 
they  suddenly  came  upon  a  concealed  party  of  the  enemy, 
within  five  rods  distant,  who  ordered  them  to  club  their  muskets 
and  surrender  themselves  prisoners.  They  made  no  answer,  but 
fired  upon  the  enemy  and  hastily  retreated.  The  fire  was  returned 
and  our  people  were  pursued  half  a  mile  ;  but  they  got  off  with- 
out losing  a  man,  and  retired  into  Fort  Clinton.  Soon  after,  intel- 
ligence was  received  at  Fort  Montgomery  that  the  enemy  were 
advancing  on  the  west  side  of  Bear  Hill  to  attack  that  work  in  the 
rear.  Upon  this  Gov.  Clinton  immediately  sent  out  100  men 
under  Lieut.  Col.  Jacobus  Bruyn  (5th  regiment)  and  Lieut.  Col. 
McClaughry,  to  take  the  road  around  Bear  Hill  to  meet  the  ap- 
proaching enemy  ;  and  at  the  same  time  dispatched  another  party 
of  60  men,  of  Lamb's  Artillery,  with  a  brass  field  piece,  to  occu- 
py a  commanding  eminence  on  the  road  that  diverged  westerly  to 
Orange  Furnace,  or  Forest  of  Dean.  They  were  not  long  out, 
before  both  parties  were  attacked,  about  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, by  the  enemy  in  full  force.  The  party  under  Cols.  Bruyn 
and  McClaughry,  fell  in  with  them  two  miles  from  the  fort,  when 
the  enemy  hailing  McClaughry,  who  took  the  lead,  inquired  how 

many  men  he  had.  "Ten  to  your  one,  d n  you,"  replied  the 

undaunted  colonel.  But  the  enemy  being  so  superior  in  numbers, 
our  people  had  to  retreat,  as  of  course  they  had  expected,  yet 
keeping  up  a  galling  fusilade  upon  the  foe»  While  doing  so,  the 
ground  being  very  rough  and  in  places  steep,  Capt.  James 
Humphrey,  McClaughry's  brother  in  law,  lost  his  gun  (for  then 
the  American  captains  carried  both  a  gun  and  sword),  or  as  others 


37 


say,  and  which  seems  most  correct,  had  it  broken  by  a  shot  from 
the  enemy.  In  this  dilemma  he  asked  McClaughry  what  he  should 
do.  "  Throw  stones  like  the  devil,"  replied  the  latter  in  thunder 
tones  !  The  party  on  the  Furnace  road  were  strengthened  to 
upwards  of  an  hundred,  and  kept  their  field  piece  playing  lively 
upon  the  cautiously  advancing  foe,  doing  great  execution,  till  the 
cannoniers  were  driven  off  with  the  bayonet,  the  enemy  almost 
surrounding  them.  But  spiking  the  gun,  they  retreated  in  goo,d 
order  to  a  twelve  pounder,  which  by  the  Governor's  direction  had 
been  placed  to  cover  them,  and  also  keeping  up  the  engagement 
with  small  arms,  till  most  of  them  got  within  the  breastwork  of 
the  fort.  The  late  Lieut.  Timothy  Mix,  of  Lamb's  Artillery,  and 
who  died  at  New  Haven  in  1824,  aged  85  years,  was  of  this  party.  • 
"While  in  the  act  of  firing  the  cannon  his  right  hand  was  disabled 
by  a  musket  shot.  Instantly  seizing  the  match  with  his  left,  he 
touched  off  the  piece  ! 

Clinton  immediately  posted  his  men  in  the  most  advantageous 
manner  for  defending  the  works,  and  before  many  minutes  the 
enemy,  advancing  in  several  columns,  reached  the  walls  and  in- 
vested them  on  every  side  where  possible  to  do  so.  Cannon 
planted  at  the  entrances  mowed  them  down  as  they  ascended  the 
hill,  but  the  breach  was  immediately  closed  up,  and  they  pressed 
on  to  the 'assault.  The  attack  now  became  general  on  both  forts, 
and  was  kept  up  incessantly  for  some  time ;  though  the  small- 
ness  of  our  numbers  (about  500,  in  both  forts),  which  required 
every  man  to  be  upon  continual  duty  and  demanded  unremitted 
exertion,  fatigued  our  people  greatly,  while  the  enemy,  whose 
number  was  thought  to  be  at  least  4,000,  continued  to  press  us 
with  fresh  troops.  Yet  notwithstanding  their  utmost  efforts,  the 
eaeniy  were  many  times  repulsed  and  beaten  back  from  our  breast- 
works with  great  slaughter.  Col.  Mungo  Campbell  fell  in  lead- 
ing the  first  attack  on  Fort  Montgomery,  his  place  being  taken 
by  Col.  Beverly  Robinson,  of  the  Loyal  Americans.  This  caused 
a  temporary  check.  About  half -past  four,  they  sent  a  flag,  which 
Lt.-Col.  William  Livingston  was  deputed  by  the  Governor  to  go 
out  and  receive.  They  demanded  a  surrender  in  five  minutes,  to 
prevent  the  effusion  of  blood,  otherwise  we  should  all  be  put  to 
sword  !  The  gallant  young  colonel  answered,  with  irony,  that  he 
would  accept  their  proposals  if  they  meant  to  surrender,  and  could 
assure  them  good  usage  ;  that  ive  were  determined  to  defend  the 
fort  to  the  last  extremity!  Then  the  action  was  renewed  with 
fresh  vigor  on  both  sides  ;  our  officers  aiding  and  encouraging  their 
men  to  every  possible  effort.  Col.  McClaughry  was  one  of  the 
most  active ;  full  of  fire,  he  fought  like  a  tiger ;  his  white  coat 
was  seen,  now  here,  now  there,  as  he  kept  going  about  among 
his  men,  inspiring  them  with  his  own  invincible  spirit.  The  con- 


38 

flict  went  on  until  the  dusk  of  evening,  when  the  enemy  stormed 
the  upper  redoubt  at  Fort  Montgomery,  which  commanded  the 
fort,  and  after  a  severe  struggle,  and  overpowering  us  with  num- 
bers, got  possession  of  it,  when  our  men  were  forced  to  give  way. 
The  first  to  enter  the  fort  were  the  New  York  Volunteers  (led  by 
Capt.  George  Turnbull),  a  provincial  corps,  whose  commander, 
Major  Grant,  was  killed  before  the  assault.  At  the  same  time 
they  stormed  and  got  possession  of  Fort  Clinton,  in  which,  besides 
a  company  of  Lamb's  Artillery,  were  none  but  militia,  but  who 
nobly  defended  it,  till  they  also  were  obliged  to  yield  to  superior 
force.  The  garrisons,  or  as  many  as  could,  bound  not  to  surrender, 
gallantly  fought  their  way  out,  those  of  Fort  Montgomery  retreat- 
ing across  the  gully  on  the  north  side  ;  while  many  others,  includ- 
ing Gov.  Clinton,  escaped  over  the  south  breastwork,  and  making 
their  way  down  to  the  water's  edge,  crossed  the  river  on  the  boom. 
The  darkness  of  the  evening  much  favored  the  escape  of  our  sol- 
diers, as  did  their  knowledge  of  the  various  paths  in  the  moun- 
tains, and  a  large  number,  with  nearly  all  the  officers,  got  away. 
But  many  were  taken  prisoners,  and  about  100  were  slain  ;  among 
the  latter  was  a  son  of  Colonel  Allison,  and  Capt.  Milliken,  of  Me 
Claughry's  regiment  (Mr.  Sears'  captain)  ;  also  James  Van  Ars- 
dale,  of  Hanover  Precinct,  a  kinsman1  of  Tunis  and  John,  and  a 
private  in  Dubois's  regiment.  John  Thompson  was  killed,  who 
was  nearly  related  to  the  Clintons,  and  cousin  to  William  Bodle, 
Esq.,  late  of  Tompkins  County,  N.  Y.*  The  enemy  paid  dearly 
for  their  conquest,  both  in  officers  and  men,  the  total  being  41 
killed  and  142  wounded.  Among  the  officers  killed,  besides  Col. 
Campbell,  Majors  Grant  and  Sill,  and  Capt.  Stewart,  was  Count 

*  JUDGE  BODLE  was  born  only  a  stone's  throw  from  the  Clinton"  home- 
stead, in  Little  Britain  (being  a  s  cond  cousin  to  the  Clintons);  but  at 
the  time  of  the  battle  was  a  farmer  on  the  Walkill.  The  distance  made 
him  late,  and  he  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  forts  only  to  learn  that  the 
enemy  had  possession.  Next  morning,  going  home,  he  suddenly  met 
Claudius  Smith,  the  noted  Tory  robber.  They  knew  each  other. 
Bodle  was  perplexed,  but  putting  on  a  bold  front,  approached  Claudius, 
who  seemed  very  friendly.  After  inquiring  the  news  from  the  river, 
Smith  said  he  had  to  go  away,  but  added:  "  Mr.  Bodle,  you  are  weary, 
go  to  my  house  yonder  and  ask  my  wife  for  some  breakfast,  and  say 
that  I  sent  you."  Seeming  to  accept  his  offer,  but  suspecting  a  trick, 
Bodle  steered  for  home,  nor  felt  quite  safe  till  he  reached  Chester. 
Smith  was  a  bold,  accomplished  villain,  a  terror  to  the  people  of 
Orange,  and  whose  career  of  brigandage  has  all  the  air  of  romance . 
He  was  finally  hung  at  Goshen,  January  22,  1779.  Mr.  Bodle  was  one 
of  the  citizens  who  guarded  him  while  in  jail.  Smith  asked  him  if  he 
would  really  shoot  him,  if  a  rescue  were  attempted.  Bodle  said  his 
duty  would  compel  him  to  it.  "Ah  !  Bodle,  I  don't  believe  you,"  said 
Smith.  See  Eager' s  Orange  County,  for  an  account  of  Smith  and  his 
gang,  made  up  in  part  from  an  article  we'.wrote  many  years  ago  for  the 
'  True  Sun."  But  not  a  fact  in  that  article  (save  the  incident  above 
related),  cams  from  Judga  Badle,  as  Mr.  Eager  assumes. 


39 


Gr  ibouski,  a  Polish  noblemau  acting  as  aid-de-camp  to  Sir  Henry 
Clinton  ;  and  Sir  Henry  himself  narrowly  escaped  our  grape-shot, 
as  also  Maj.  Gon.  John  Vaughan,  whose  horse  was  shot  under 
him.  . 

Many  incidents  are  related  of  those  who  met  with  hair-breadth 
escapes.  Gan.  James  Clinton  was  among  the  last  to  leave  Fort 
Clinton,  and  escapsd  not  until  he  was  severely  wounded  by  the 
thrust  of  a  bayonet,  pursued  and  firad  at  by  the  enemy,  arid  his 
attending  servant  killed.  He  slid  down  a  declivity  of  one  hun- 
dred feet  to  the  ravine  of  the  creek  which  separated  the  forts, 
and  proceeding  cautiously  along  its  bank  reached  the  mountains 
at  a  safe  distance  from  the  enemy,  after  having  fallen  into  the 
stream,  by  which,  the  water  being  cold,  the  flow  of  blood  from 
his  wound  was  staunched.  The  return  of  light  enabled  him  to 
find  a  horse,  which  took  him  to  his  house,  in  Little  Britain,  where 
he  arrived  about  noon,  covered  with  blood,  and  suffering  from 
a  high  fever.  Capt.  William  Faulkner,  of  McClaughry's  regi- 
ment, had  a  bayonet  driven  in  his  breast  with  such  force  that, 
being  unfixed  at  the  same  moment,  it  stuck  fast,  when  he  himself 
drew  it  out,  and  threw  it  back  with  all  his  might,  and  his  man 
fell.  The  enemy  were  pressing  into  the  fort,  and  the  captain 
made  his  way  on  the  ground  by  the  side  of  the  column  and  got 
out.  Walking  a  mile  or  so  he  lay  down  to  drink  at  a  brook,  the 
draft  stopped  the  blood,  but  he  was  too  weak  to  rise.  He  "  made 
his  paace  with  God  "  (to  use  his  own  expression),  and  expected 
there  to  die.  But  a  man  came  along  on  horseback,  who  placed 
him  on  his  horse,  and  took  him  to  an  inn  two  miles  beyond. 
There  he  found  a  dozen  of  his  own  men,  by  whom  he  was  taken 
to  his  own  house  on  the  Walkill,  and  he  finally  recovered.* 

When  the  battle  had  ended,  and  the  enemy  had  set  a  guard, 
Corporal  Van  Arsdale,  who  had  shown  great  spirit  in  the  fight, 
and  was  among  the  last  to  cease  firing,  resolved  not  to  be  made  a 
prisoner,  and  managed  to  escape  from  tb.e  fort ;  but  he  had  only 
gone  a  short  distance  when  he  was  shot  in  the  calf  of  the  leg,  and 
seized  by  a  British  soldier  while  in  the  act  of  crossing 
a  fence.  He  was  conducted  back  into  the  fort,  under 
a  torrent  of  abuse  from  his  captor,  who  threatened  to  take 
his  life,  and  he  himself  expected  instant  death.  His  gun  was 
demanded,  and  when  delivered,  the  barrel  was  yet  so  hot  from 
frequent  firing  that  the  soldier  quickly  dropped  it,  with  another 
imprecation.  Then  the  old  musket,  its  last  work  so  nobly  done, 
was  ruthlessly  broken  to  pieces  over  the  rocks.  Van  Arsdale  and 

*  JEPTHA.  LEE,  of  Lamb's  Artillery,  was  one  of  those  who  escaped 
out  of  the  fort  with  General  James  Clinton.  He  served  with  John  Van 
Arsdale,  undei  Capt.  Faulkner,  in  1779,  and  died  in  1855,  at  Ulysses, 
N.  Y. 


40 


the  other  prisoners,  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  in  all,  includ- 
ing twenty-eight  officers,  were  kept  under  guard  for  a  day  or  two 
at  the  forts,  then  put  on  board  the  British  transports  and  taken 
to  New  York.  Forty-four  of  Van  Arsdale's  regiment  were  among 
them  including  the  brave  colonel  McClaughry  (who  was  suffering 
from  seven  wounds),*  and  his  brother-in-law  Capt.  Humphrey,  of 
whom  it  was  said  by  one  Van  Tuyl  (among  the  last  to  escape  from 
Fort  Montgomery)  that,  when  he  left,  Humphrey  was  yet  throwing 
stones !  The  prisoners,  on  arriving  at  New  York,  October,  10th, 
were  landed,  and  the  privates  marched  up  to  Livingston's 
Sugar  House,  in  Liberty  Street,  between  Nassau  and  William, 
and  put  in  custody  of  Sergeant  Woolly ;  excepting  the  badly 
wounded,  who  were  sent  to  the  hospital.  The  officers,  with 
similar  exception,  were  taken  to  the  old  City  Hall,  whence, 
two  days  after,  they  were  marched  up  to  the  Provost,  and 
placed  in  charge  of  the  brutal  Cunningham,  where  they  remained 
till  after  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  when,  retaliation  being 
feared,  nearly  all  the  officers  were  sent  (November  1st)  to  Long 
Island,  upon  parole,  t  The  privates  had  all  been  removed  from 
the  Sugar  House,  October  24th,  and  put  on  board  a  prisonship, 
anchored  opposite  Governor's  Island.  Van  Arsdale,  and  his 
friend  Sears,  needing  surgical  aid,  were,  with  others,  suffering 
from  their  wounds,  taken  directly  to  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Beekman  Street,  known  as  the  "Brick  Church,"  and  then 
used  by  the  enemy  as  an  hospital.  Sears  had  been  very 
badly  hurt  in  the  battle.  After  being  shot  in  the  leg,  and 
stabbed  in  the  side  by  a  bayonet,  which  filled  his  shoes  with  blood, 
he  was  knocked  down  with  the  but  of  a  gun  and  trampled  upon  by 
the  invading  column.  At  the  hospital,  the  bullets  being  extracted 

*  COL.  McCLAtTGHBY,  though  a  prisoner  and  sorely  wounded,  showed 
the  same  indomitable  spirit  as  before.  Left  to  suffer  three  days  bef(  re 
his  wounds  were  dressed,  in  the  belief  that  he  could  not  live,  his  cap- 
tors tried  to  extort  information  from  him,  as  to  our  strength.  He  re- 
plied curtly  that  Washington  had  a  powerful  army,  and  would  yet  whip 
them,  and  he  should  live  to  see  it !  He  was  soon  exchanged,  resumed  his 
command  and  survived  the  war.  He  was  made  an  honorary  member  of 
the  Cincinnati,  and  lived  most  respectably  upon  his  farm  at  Little  Brit- 
ain, till  his  death  hi  1790,  aged  67  years.  He  left  no  children. 

GEN.  ALLISON,  as  lat.er  styled,  was  exchanged  during  the  ensuing 
winter,  and  took  home  with  him  to  Gov.  Clinton  $2,000  in  gold,  loaned 
by  a  good  whig  on  Long  Island,  to  aid  the  American  cause.  He  died 
in  1804,  at  the  Drowned  Lands,  where  he  resided;  leaving  a  very 
respectable  family  and  an  ample  estate.  His  daughter  Sarah  mar- 
ried William  W.  Thompson,  and  daughter  Mary  married  Dr.  William 
Elmer. 

t  The  exceptions  were  'Col.  McClaughry,  Capt.  Humphrey,  Lieut 
Solomon  Pendleton  and  Ensign  John  McClaughry,  both   of  Dubois's 
regiment,  and  Lieut.  John  Hunter,  of  McClaughry's ;  who  were  still 
there  Nov.  5th. 


and  their  wounds  dressed,  they  began  to  mend,  but  only  three  weeks 
and  three  days  elapsed,  when  they  too  were  sent  to  the  prison - 
ship,  and  confined  between  decks.  Winter  had  set  in  very  inclem- 
ent, their  food  was  not  only  stale  and  unwholesome,  but  even  this 
was  limited  in  quantity  to  two-thirds  of  a  British  soldiers  when 
at  sea,  which  was  one-third  less  than  the  allowance  upon  land  ; 
in  consequence  of  which  they  suffered  everything  but  death  from 
hunger  and  cold.  Nor  was  this  the  worst.  The  prisoners,  from 
these  and  other  causes,  became  very  sickly,  and  died  off  in  great 
numbers.  Abel  Wells  and  four  others  of  the  Fort  Montgomery 
party,  being  tailors,  were  sent  from  the  prisonship  to  the  Provost, 
November  24th,  to  make  clothing  for  the  prisoners  there.  *  They 
informed  Judge  Fell,  a  prisoner,  that  their  company  was  then 
reduced  to  one  hundred.  This  mortality  would  seem  to  have 
been  heavy  among  Col.  Dubois's  men,  very  few  of  whom  ever 
rejoined  their  regiment.  Van  Arsdale  was  taken  sick  about  the 
20th  of  December,  and  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  sent  to  the 
hospital,  where  he  had  some  care,  and  soon  recovered.  Shortly 
after  going  there  he  was  joined  by  Sears,  who  was  in  a  suffering 
and  helpless  condition,  his  feet  and  legs  having  been  badly  frozen 
in  the  prisonship.  Fortunately  Van  Arsdale  was  getting  better, 
so  that  he  was  of  great  service  to  his  friend,  and  which  also  tend- 
ed to  divert  his  mind  from  his  own  misfortunes.  He  even  begged 
"coppers"  from  the  British  officers  to  buy  little  comforts  for 
Sears  ;  but  which,  had  it  been  for  himself,  he  declared  he  would 
have  scorned  to  do,  in  any  extremity.  Sears  always  held  that  Van 
Arsdale  saved  his  life,  and  he  spoke  feelingly  of  his  kindness  to 
him  to  the  day  of  his  death.  Van  Arsdale  finding  his  condition 
in  the  hospital  much  more  tolerable,  managed  to  prolong  his  stay, 
by  tying  up  his  head  and  feigning  illness  when  the  doctor  made  his 
daily  call.  The  latter  would  leave  him  some  powders,  but  only  to  be 
thrown  away.  This  did  not  long  avail  him,  and  when  reported  well 
enough  to  remove,  he  was  taken  back  to  the  prisonship,  to  en- 
dure its  indescribable  miseries  for  several  weary  months.  Words 
cannot  portray  the  horrors  of  this  prison,  which  was  loathesome 

*  They  were,  besides  Wells,  Eobert  Huston,  Francis  McBride,  and 
William  Humphrey,  of  McClaughry's  regiment,  and  John  Brooks,  of 
Woodhull's.  Abel  Wells  sickened  and  died  in  the  Provost,  Dec.  13, 
1777.  Benjamin  Goldsmith  and  Garret  Miller,  worthy  residents  of 
Smith's  Clove  in  Orange  County,  deserve  notice  in  this  connection. 
Goldsmith  had  a  valuable  horse  stolen  by  Claudhn  Smith's  gang,  and 
some  of  his  neighbors  sustained  similar  losses.  Finally  a  party  went 
out  in.  pursuit  of  the  robbers,  but  some,  including  Goldsmi'h  and  Miller, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British,  and  were  sent  to  the  Provost,  where 
both  died  of  smallpox,  Miller  on  the  memorable  6th  of  October,  and 
Goldsmith  on  the  20th  of  October,  1777.  Goldsmith  was  the  father  of 
Daniel,  who  was  the  father  of  the  present  Mr.  Daniel  Goldsmith,  of 
Bloomingrove,  and  of  the  late  David  Goldsmith,  of  Schuyler  Co.,  N.  Y, 


42 


with  filth  and  vermin,  and  where  to  the  pangs  of  hunger  anp 
thirst,  were  aided  the  alternate  extremes  of  heat  and  cold. 
Especially  when  the  hatches  were  closed,  as  was  always  done  at 
night,  the  heat  and  stench  caused  by  the  feverish  breath  of  hundreds 
of  prisoners  became  almost  suffocating.  Consequently  dysentery, 
small-pox  and  jail  fever  made  fearful  ravages.  The  ghastly  faces 
of  the  starved  and  sick,  and  the  pale  corpses  of  the  dead,  the 
groans  of  tha  dyiug,  the  commingled  voices  of  weeping,  cursing 
and  prayiug,  joined  to  the  ravings  of  tha  delirious;  such  were  the 
shocking  scenes  to  which  Van  Arsdale  was  a  witness,  and  which 
added  to  his  personal  sufferings,  made  his  situation  one  of  the 
most  appalling  to  be  conceived  of.  Fitly  was  this  dungeon  de- 
scribed by  one  of  its  inmates  as  "  a  little  epitoma  of  Hall !"  Kept 
near  to  starvation,  Van  Arsdale,  when  allowed  with  other  pris- 
oners, a  few  at  a  time,  to  go  up  on  the  quarter  deck,  was  glad  to 
eat  the  baans  or  crusts  he  skimmed  from  the  swill  kept  there  to 
feed  pigs,  that  he  might  partially  relieve  the  kuawings  of  hunger  ! 
But  we  forbear  further  comment  upon  a  fruitful  topic,  the  cruel 
treatment  of  the  Amarican  prisoners,  and  which  has  fixed  a  stain 
upon  the  perpetrators  never  to  be  wiped  out ! 

Sears  had  returned  to  the  prisonship  about  the  last  of  March, 
and  in  the  month  of  Miy  he  and  Van  Arsdale,  with  other  pris- 
oners, were  picked  out  and  removed  agiin  to  the  Sugar  House. 
This  was  probably  a  step  towards  an  exchange  of  prisoners,  then 
contemplated,  which  made  it  necessary  to  separate  those  be- 
longing to  the  land  service  from  the  naval  prisoners.  The  Sugar 
House,  with  its  five  or  six  low  stories,  was  crammed  with  Amer- 
ican patriots,  and  the  passerby  in  warm  weather  could  see  its 
little  grated  windows  filled  with  human  faces,  trying  to  catch  a 
breath  of  the  external  air  !  Bat  now  a  little  more  lenity  seems  to 
have  baeu  shown  soma  of  the  prisoners,  parhaps  in  view  of  the 
exchange.  Van  Arsdale  found  a  friend  in  his  father's  cousin, 
Vincant  Day,  who  had  enlisted  in  Lamb's  Artillery,  in  1775,  but 
did  not  go  to  Canada,  and  was  now  regarded  as  a  loyalist.  He 
was  permitted  to  see  Van  Arsdale,  bring  him  food,  etc.,*  and  a 

*  This  kindness  was  repaid  a  dozen  year  later  (1790)  when  Mr.  Van 
Arsdale  and  his  wife  took  Mr.  Day's  eight  year  old  motherless  daughter 
to  nurture  as  their  own,  they  having  been  bereft  the  year  previous  of 
their  three  young  children,  though  seven  more  were  given  them  after- 
wards. And  Mary  Day,  (whose  father  died  Oct.  19,  1802,  aged  i9),  re- 
mained with  them  till  her  marriage  to  William  Hutchings,  the  father  of 
Mr.  John  Hutchings,  of  Norwalk,  Ot.  Amiable  woman,  pure  and 
artless  as  a  child,  and  to  sum  up  her  life  in  a  word,  filling  her  humble 
sphere  with  perfect  fidelity, — among  the  happier  days  of  the  writer's 
boyhood  were  those  spent  in  summer  recreations^t  her  modest  home  at 
Cow  Bay,  with  the  mill  poni  an"!  Squire  Mitchell's  old  red  grist  mill, 
and  Uncle  Billy's  cooperage  near  it,  and  around  the  bluff  the  broad 
sandy  b?ach,  as  rambling  ground;  your  pardon,  indulgent  reader,  if 
thoughts  of  the  past  do  force  a  tear. 


next  step  was  to  get  leave  for  him  to  visit  his  house.  This  was  a 
most  grateful  relief ;  but  it  being  suspected  that  Van  Arsdale 
meditated  an  escape  (which  my  informant  said  was  the  case),  this 
privilege  was  cut  off,  and  Day  sent  to  the  Provost  for  his  human- 
ity. This  incident  was  related  to  me  by  Mr.  Abraham  Van 
Arsdale,  before  mentioned. 

Van  Arsdale  had  dragged  out  some  two  months  of  miserable 
existence  in  the  Sugar  House,  and  in  all  nine  months  and  a  half 
as  a  prisoner,  when  the  day  of  happy  deliverance  arrived.  Gen. 
"Washington  had  long  been  trying  to  effect  an  exchange  of  prison- 
ers, but  to  overcome  the  scruples  of  the  British  commander  took 
months  of  negotiation.  Terms  were  at  length  agreed  upon  by 
which  some  six  hundred  Americans  were  set  at  liberty.  On  July 
20th,  Van  Arsdale  was  released  from  iiis  dungeon,  and  taken  with 
others  in  a  barge  down  the  bay,  and  via  the  Kills  to  Elizabeth- 
town  Point,  where  they  landed,  and  were  delivered  up  to  Major 
John  Beatty,  the  American  Commissary.  In  marching  from  the 
Point  two  miles  to  the  village  of  Elizabethtown,  Van  Arsdale  was 
obliged  to  support  his  friend  Sears,  who  was  too  feeble  to  walk 
alone.  Now  breathing  the  air  of  freedom,  they  set  out  together 
for  their  homes  in  Hanover  Precinct,  where  Van  Arsdale  was 
heartily  greeted  by  his  numerous  friends  who  received  him  as 
one  risen  from  the  dead,  and  found  a  warm  welcome  in  the  house 
of  his  brother  Tunis.  Emaciated  to  a  degree,  and  suffering 
from  scurvy,  he  was  for  some  time  under  the  doctor's  care,  but 
finally  regained  his  health. 

A  nation's  gratitude  is  the  least  tribute  it  can  render  to  its 
brave  soldiers  who  have  fought  its  battles  ;  but  if  any  class  of 
patriots  should  be  tenderly  embalmed  in  a  nation's  memory,  it  is 
those  who,  through  devotion  to  country,  have  languished  in 
prison  walls,  whether  the  "  Sugar  House,"  or  a  "Libby  !"  What 
firmness,  and  what  consecration  to  country  was  required  in 
the  Revolutionary  prisoners,  under  the  pressure  of  their  suffer- 
ings, to  spurn  the  alluring  offers  f req  lently  made,  to  entice  them 
into  the  British  service ;  but  so  rarely  successful.  Do  not  their 
names  deserve  to  be  written  in  letters  «f  gold,  on  the  proudest 
obelisk  that  national  gratitude  and  munificence  united  could 
erect  ?* 

*  LIST  OF  THE  AMERICANS  who  were  made  prisoners  at  Forts 
Montgomery  and^Olinton,  Oct.  6,  1777. 

OFFICERS. 

Col.  William  Allison.  Lieut.  Paton  Jackson,  5th  Regt. 

Lt.  C,)l.  James  McClaughry.  Lieut.  John  Furmau,  5th  Regt. 

Lt.  Col.  Jacobus  Bruyn.  Lieut.  Henry  Pawling,  5th  Regt. 

Lt.  Col.  William  Livingston.  Lieut  Ebenezer  Mott,  5th  Regt. 

Major  Samuel  Logan,  5th  Regt.  *Lieut.  Alexander  McArthur,  5th  Regt. 


4-1 


Van  Arsdale's  bitter  experience  at  the  hands  of  the  Britons, 
had  changed  his  animosity  towards  them  into  unmitigated  hate, 
and  we  know  that  time  but  partially  overcame  it.  So  far  from 


Major  Stephen  Lu«h.  Brig  de  Major  to 

G  n.  G' o'ee  Clinton. 
Major  Daniel  Hamil,  Brigade  Major  to 

Gen.  James  Clinten. 
Maior   Zachariah   Dubois,    Woodhnll'a 

Regt. 

Capt.  Henry  Godwin,  5th  Regt. 
Cant.  James  Humphrey,  McClaughry's 

Regt. 
Capt.  Lt.  Cornelius  Swartwont,  Lamb's 

Artillery. 
Capt.  Lt.  Ephraim  Fenno,    Lamb's  Ar- 

tillerv. 
Lient.  Solomon  Pendleton,  6th  Regt. 


Li-nit.  Samuel  Dodge,  5th  Regt 

Lieut.     John     Hunter,     McClanghry's 

Regt. 
Lieut.    Benjamin     Halstead,    Allison's 

Rest. 

Lient.  Henry  Brewster,  Allison's    Regt. 
En-ign  Abraham  Le»gett,  5th  Regt. 
Ensign  John  McClauehry,  5th  Regt. 
Ensign  Henry  Swartwout.  5th  Reet- 
Adj.  Dep.  Qr.  Mr.  Gen.  Oliver  Glean. 
Qr.  Master  Xehemiah  Carpenter. 
Capt.  James  Gilliland.  Director  of  Ord- 

nance. 


PRIVATES  AND  NOX-COMMISSIONED  OFFICERS. 


5th,  or  Col.  Dubois's  Regiment. 


David  McHollister. 
Martin  Sh.iy. 
Jacohns  Tnrbnsh. 
Thaddeu*  Kennedy. 
John  McDonald.  , 
John  Conklln. 
Jame«  Montanye. 
Henrv  O«trander. 
Jacobus  Logier. 
David  Bovins. 
Vincent  Venney. 
Jeremiah  Dunn. 
Robert  PH  trick. 
"William  Barber. 
B^njimin  "Wiley. 
Danford  Winchester. 
*Willinm  Mullen.. 
Lewis  Dixon.l 
John  Tvery. 
Nnthxniel  Otter. 
Eliakim  B^nsh. 
Robert  Gille"nie. 
Abraham  Wi-ieM. 
Jonathan  Hallock. 
James  Weldon.  j 
Thomas  Tinn. 
Samnel  Turner. 
Ds-iel  Ttominick. 
John  Witloc<. 
Jacobus  Terwilliger. 
James  Steel. 
Thomas  Crispell. 
Enos  Lent. 
Jacobns  Lent. 
John  Albrie-ht. 
Alexander  Ockey. 
Thomas  Hartwell. 
Patrick  Doreran. 
Samn<  1  Crosby. 
Moses  Shall. 
John  West. 
John  Molntoeh. 
Henry  Schoonmaker. 
Joseph  Morgan. 
Jonathan  Stockham. 
Abel  Randall 
Thomas  Kent. 
Willism  Banker. 
Poter  WelK 
Joseph  Deneyck. 
John  Weston. 
Michael  Burgh. 
Thomas  Smith. 


Th«ma«<  Conklin. 
Ephraim  Adams. 
Francis  Sears. 
Samuel  Garrison. 
William  Willis. 
Abraham  Jorden. 
John  Storm. 
T'nomas  McCarty. 
Thomas  Hendricks. 
John  Cbamberlin. 
Zebulou  Woodruff. 
Paul  Keizler. 
George  Heck. 
John  Miller. 
John  Allison, 
Samnel  Boyd. 
Wil'iam  Weaver. 
William  Ivery, 
John  Stanley, 
John  Brown. 
George  Polton. 
*Philip  Felix. 
Aaron  Knapp. 
James  Mitchell, 
John  Johnston. 
Nehemiah  Sniff  en. 
Solomon  Shaw. 
Jame-  Montieth. 
Daniel  Lower. 
John  Hunt. 
Michael  Johnston 
Jow  ph  Reeder. 
John  Price. 
Robert  Marshall. 
Scott  Travers. 
John  Satterly. 
James  Amerman. 
Harman  'rum. 
Samuel  Gr  ffin. 
Cornelius  Acker. 
Jacob  Lawrence. 
Francis  Gaines. 
Benjamin  Griffin. 
Enos  Sniffen 
Joseph  Boltou 
Jnmes  Hannah 
William  Slott. 
Benjamin  Chichester 
Francis  Drake. 
J«si  er  Smiih 
William  Casselton 
Edward  Allen 
William  Bard 


weaning  him  from  the  dangers  and  hardships  of  a  soldier's  life, 
it  only  nerved  him  with  courage,  and  fixed  his  purpose  to  re-enter 
the  service,  an  opportunity  for  which  soon  offered. 

The  frequent  atrocities  committed  by  the  Indians  and  Tories 
upon  the  settlers  on  the  frontiers,  within  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  especially  the  massacres,  the  preceding  year,  at  Wyom- 
ing and  Cherry  Valley,  led  to  retributive  measures,  which  took 


Elicah  Petty, 
David  Clark. 
Hull  Peck. 
William  Taylor. 
Edward  Keen. 
Hugh  Lindsey. 
David  Pembroke. 
Thomas  Griffith, 
Robert  English. 
David  Stone. 
John  Twitched. 
Hugh  McCall. 
Thaddeus  Barries. 


COL.  LAMB'S  ARTILLERY 

Alexander  Moffatt. 
David  Hanmore. 
James  Shearer. 
William  Swan. 
Johu  Patterson. 
John  Nelson. 
J;-nul  Smith. 
Sa  niiel  Funnan. 
Alexander  Young. 
John  Kelly. 
Alexander  McCoy. 
John  Gardner. 
Timothy  Nichols. 


COL.  ALLISON'S  REGIMENT. 

Samuel  Taylor.  Peter  Jones. 

Jimes  Bell,  Uriah  Black. 

Robert  Eaton.  Frederick  Nochton. 

Kiciiard  Sheridan.  David  Wheeler. 

James  Koyl.  1'eter  Stage. 

'James  Lewis.  Isaac  Ketcham. 

James  Thompson.  Henry  Brewster. 

Michael  Dunning.  Frederick  Pelliger. 

Jam  ;s  Sawyer.  Caleb  Ashley. 

Joseph  Moore.  Timothy  Corwiu. 
Jesse  Dunning. 


*John  McMullen. 
Henry  Neely. 
Robert  Henry. 
William  Scott. 
Matthew  Dubois. 
Francis  Me  Bride. 
Robert  Huston . 
Andrew  Wilson. 
Christopher  Sypher. 
John  DcirKis. 
William  Stiuson. 
Wi.liam  Humphrey. 
George  Humphrey. 
James  Humphrey. 
John  Carmichel. 
Johu  Skinner. 
Gerardus  Viueger. 
Baltus  Van  Kleek. 
Cornelius  Slott. 
William  Ho  well. 
John  Hunan. 


COL.    McCLAUGHRY's   REGIMENT. 

Robert  Barkley. 
James  Wood. 
David  Thompson. 
Elias  Wool. 
•Robert  Wool. 
*Samuei  Hodge. 
William  McMullen. 
Isaac  Demon. 
Moses  Cantine. 
George  Brown. 
Eluatha.li  Sears. 
Philip  Millspaugh. 
John  Van  Arsdale. 
George  Coleman. 
Abel  Wells. 
Hezekiah  Kune. 
John  Manny. 
Isaac  Kin  brick 
Samuel  Falls. 
James  Miller. 


COL.  HASBKOUCK'S  REGIMENT. 


George  "Wilkin. 
Cornelius  Roosa. 
Simon  Osirander. 
Zachariah  Terwilliger. 
John  Stevenson. 
William  Warren. 


Benjamin  Lawrence. 
Cornelius  Stevens. 
John  Bingliam. 
John  Snyder. 
Robert  Cooper. 


the  form  of  an  expedition  into  the  Indian  country.  This  expedi- 
tion was  to  move  in  two  divisions  ;  one  under  Major  General 
Sullivan,  who  was  chief  in  command,  to  ascend  the  Susquehanna 
river  from  Easton,  the  other  under  General  James  Clinton  to 
descend  that  river  from  the  Mohawk  Valley  ;  and  the  two  meet- 
ing at  Tioga  Point,  the  united  force  was  to  proceed  up  the 
Chemung,  to  give  the  Indians  battle,  should  they  make  a  stand, 
or  otherwise  to  burn  and  lay  waste  their  villages,  orchards  and 
crops,  thus  depriving  them  of  subsistence,  and  the  power  to  repeat 
their  bloody  forays  upon  the  border  settlements. 

This  design  was  scarcely  matured,  when  our  legislature,  on 
March  13th,  1779,  ordered  the  raising  of  two  regiments  from  the 
militia,  to  be  called  State  Levies,  for  the  special  defense  of  the 
State,  and  particularly  of  the  frontiers  of  Orange  and  Ulster, 
which  were  subject  to  the  stealthy  attacks  of  roving  Indians, 
and  of  Tories  disguised  as  Indians,  the  fear  of  which  kept 
the  loyal  inhabitants  in  constant  alarm,  and  called  for  the  main- 
tenance of  a  military  guard  to  prevent  their  falling  a  prey  to  these 
destroyers  in  the  British  interest,  or  their  abandonment  of  their 
h  omes  and  possessions.  One  battalion  of  levies,  so  raised,  was 
commanded  by  Lieut.  -Col.  Albert  Pawling,  and  under  whom,  in 
the  company  of  Capt.  "William  Faulkner,  our  Van  Arsdale  en- 
listed on  the  10th  of  May.  Governor  Clinton  had  assured  Wash- 

COL.   WOODHULL'S  REGIMENT. 

John  Brooks.  James  Mitchell. 

John  Lamerey.  John  Armstrong. 

Henry  Cunningham.  Peter  Gillen. 

John  Crooks.  Edward  Tomkins. 

William  Penoyer.  Handle  House. 

Simon  Currens.  ""Christian  House. 

Israel  Cushman.  Isaac  Hoffman. 

Asa  Ramsey. 
•*Joel  Curtiss. 
Thomas  Harten. 
Jesse  Carpenter. 
Benjamin  Simmons. 
Isaac  Cooly  . 
Joshua  Currey. 
James  Thompson. 
Stephen  ©lark. 

CORPS  UNKNOWN. 

John  Donalds.  Tobias  Lent  . 

Joseph  Mead.  George  Depew. 

George  Peck.  Auris  Verplank. 

Jeese  Lockwood  .  Albert  Vantass  . 

WAGONERS. 

John  Randle  .  "Jacob  Morris. 

Elias  Vanvolver.  *John  Tallow 

Samuel  Anderson  . 

N.  B.—  The  ten  with  a  star  are  named  in  a  list  preserved  by  Col. 
Wm.  Faulkner,  but  are  not  in  that  furnished  Gov.  Clinton,  by  Joseph 
Lormg,  British  Commissary  of  Prisoners.  McArthur  returned  to  hie 
regiment,  the  other  nine  are  not  found  again. 


Isaac  Hoffman. 

Col.  Hammon's,  Zachari  ah  Taylor. 

Col.  Drake's,  John  Vantassel. 

Col.  Holme's,  Cornelius  Cornelius,  Wil- 

liam  Randle  . 

Col.  Ogden'8,  Thomas  Cook. 
Col.  AntiWs,  Jonathan  Nichols. 


47 

ington  that  Pawling  would  reinforce  Gen.  Clinton  on  his  march, 
and  take  part  in  the  expedition.  But  the  sudden  seizure  of 
Stony  Point  by  the  British,  May  31st,  and  a  further  advance 
which  menaced  West  Point  and  obliged  Governor  Clinton  to  take 
the  field  with  all  his  available  force,  together  with  the  burning 
of  Minisink  by  red  and  white  savages  under  the  cruel  Brant,  and 
the  fatal  battle  that  ensued,  July  22d,  near  the  Delaware,  in 
which  fell  many  of  the  brave  yeomen  of  Orange,  made  it  so  un- 
safe to  withdraw  the  levies  from  these  borders  that  Governor 
Clinton  expressed  a  fear  that  he  might  not  be  able  to  detach 
them  upon  the  western  expedition. 

But  eventually  Col.  Pawling,  with  his  battalion,  about  five 
hundred  men,  left  Lackawack  and  Shandaken,  on  the  borders  of 
Ulster,  upon  the  10th  of  August.  The  route  lay  across  the  country 
for  a  hundred  miles,  over  mountains  and  rivers,  and  through 
dark  forests  known  only  to  the  guides ;  but  it  so  happened  that, 
added  to  these  obstacles,  the  rains  set  in  and  the  rivers  became 
swollen  and  impassable,  except  by  rafts.  This,  with  the  state  of 
his  provisions  and  other  considerations,  rendered  it  impracticable 
for  him  to  proceed,  and  he  reluctantly  turned  back.  He,  how- 
ever, pushed  forward  a  small  detachment  of  sixteen  men,  under 
Capt.  Abraham  Van  Aken,  either  to  advise  Gen.  Clinton  of  his 
approach  or  of  his  inability  to  join  him ;  but  Van  Aken  reached 
Aghquaga,  or  Anquaga,  on  the  Susquehanna,  the  day  after  Clin- 
ton had  passed,  so  missed  of  seeing  him  ;  and  remaining  there 
some  days,  as  would  appear,  then  returned  to  camp,  where  he 
arrived  {September  1st.  It  transpired  that  Clinton  had  reached 
Anquaga  on  the  14th,  and,  waiting  till  the  16th,  then  sent  out 
Major  Church,  with  the  Fourth  Pennsylvania  Begiment,  five  or 
six  miles  to  look  for  Pawling,  but  they  returned  without  seeing 
him,  and  the  next  morning  Clinton  pursued  his  march.  This 
was  a  great  disappointed  to  Van  Arsdale  and  others,  who  were 
full  of  ardor  to  share  in  the  expedition  under  Sullivan,  and  our 
statement  must  correct  the  existing  belief  that  Van  Arsdale  did  take 
part  in  it,  while  it  explains  how  he  failed  of  the  coveted  oppor- 
tunity. 

Major  Van  Benschoten,  with  a  detachment  of  the  levies,  includ- 
ing Van  Arsdale  and  his  company,  in  which  he  was  serving  as  cor- 
poral, proceeded,  October  31st,  to  the  camp  on  the  Hudson,  and 
were  ordered  to  Stony  Point  to  augment  its  garrison.  But  the 
winter  setting  in  with  severity,  the  men  through  anxiety  to  reach 
home,  began  to  desert  in  great  numbers,  on  account  of  which 
they  were  ordered  to  Poughkeepsie,  and  set  out  December  16th. 
At  Fishkill,  the  next  day  they  were  paid  off,  up  to  October  31st, 
the  date  they  arrived  in  camp.  What  Capt.  Faulkner  then  paid 
him  was  all  that  Van  Arsdale  received  in  lieu  of  his  services,  past 


48 


or  subsequent,  till  after  the  war  ended.  He  remained  with  his 
company  until  it  was  disbanded  on  December  25th,  when  he  was 
honorably  discharged  and  went  home,  having  acquitted  him  as 
"  a  good  soldier  "  in  the  estimation  of  his  captain. 

He  spent  the  winter  at  Neelytown,  giving  spare  time  to  improv- 
ing his  mind  in  some  useful  studies.  It  was  the  famous  ' '  Hard 
Winter,"  and  it  made  a  fearful  draft  on  the  woodpile  ;  taking  the 
brothers  often  to  the  woods  with  their  axes,  to  keep  up  the  sup- 
ply of  fuel.  Snow  covered  the  ground  to  an  average  depth  of  six 
feet  or  more,  fences  and  roads  were  obliterated,  and  travel  went 
in  all  directions  over  the  hard  crust.  Being  difficult  if  not  dan- 
gerous for  a  team,  they  drew  their  wood  home  on  a  hand  sled. 
On  the  melting  of  the  snow  in  the  spring,  the  stumps  left  were  of 
sufficient  length  to  be  used  by  Tunis  for  making  fence  rails  ! 

A  dark  cloud  hung  over  our  cause  in  the  spring  of  1780 ;  there 
were  no  funds  with  which  to  pay  the  army,  or  even  to  supply  it 
with  necessary  food  and  clothing.  Pressed  by  keenest  want, 
officers  were  resigning,  large  bodies  of  soldiers  whose  time  had 
expired  were  leaving,  while  such  as  remained  were  disheartened, 
— less  by  the  remembrance  of  hardships  past,  than  by  what  the 
future  seemed  to  forebode.  It  was  under  such  discouragements, 
when 

"  Allegiance  waud'riug  turns  astray 
And  Faith  grows  dim  for  lack  of  pay." 

that  Van  Arsdale  re-entered  the  army,  to  share  its  fortunes  what- 
ever those  might  be.  An  Act  had  been  passed  March  llth,  1780, 
to  raise  a  body  of  levies  for  the  defense  of  the  frontiers.  It 
required  every  thirty-five  male  inhabitants,  of  competent  age,  to 
engage  and  equip  one  able-bodied  recruit  to  serve  in  their  stead 
in  said  levies.  Whether  at  the  solicitation  of  his  neighbors,  liable 
under  this  Act,  or  prompted  by  his  own  devotion  to  the  service, 
or  both  combined,  we  have  no  means  of  knowing,  but  we  find 
Van  Arsdale  joining  the  levies  on  the  2d  of  May.  But  under  an 
act  of  June  21th  ensuing,  which  permitted  privates  serving  in 
the  lovies  to  enlist  in  either  of  the  continental  battalions  belong- 
ing to  the  State  Line,  provided  they  engaged  to  serve  for  the  war, 
Van  Arsdale  with  the  then  common  idea  that  this  was  the  more 
h;norable  service,  took  his  discharge  from  the  levies,  and  enlisted 
in  the  company  of  Capt.  Henry  Vandebergh  (being  the  1st  com- 
pany) of  the  5th  New  York  regiment,  of  which  Marinus  Willett 
was  Lieut. -Col.  Commandant,  and  belonging  to  Gen.  James  Clin- 
ton's brigade.  This  brigade  was  then  in  garrison  at  West  Point, 
and  Van  Arsdale's  initial  service  was  fatigue  duty  on  the  four  re- 
doubts at  that  post,  and  guard  duty  at  Fort  Montgomery ;  the 
latter  reviving  but  too  vividly  the  campaign  of  1777,  and  its  great 
disaster,  many  traces  of  which  were  still  ,visible.  Vandebergh, 


4:9 


who  had  had  command  of  the  company  as  lieutenant  for  the  four 
months  since  its  captain,  Bosecrance,  became  a  major,  was  now 
promoted  July  1st,  and  on  the  30th,  was  officially  put  in  command 
as  captain.  Upon  the  latter  date  (it  having  before  been  given 
out  that  an  attack  was  to  be  made  upon  New  York  City),  the  New 
York  brigade  was  directed  to  march  next  morning  at  sunrise. 
They  moved  accordingly,  crossed  the  Hudson  and  took  up  a  posi- 
tion below  Peekskill.  But  the  object  of  the  advance,  which  was 
merely  strategic,  having  been  served,  the  army  again  crossed  the 
river  at  Verplank's  Point,  and  on  August  7th  made  headquarters 
at  Clarkstown.  Washington  had  given  orders  a  week  previous 
for  the  immediate  formation  of  a  corps  of  Light  Infantry,  to  be 
commanded  by  General  Lafayette.  It  consisted  of  two  brigades, 
each  of  three  battalions,  and  each  battalion  composed  of  eight 
companies  selected  from  the  different  lines  of  the  army,  by  taking 
the  first  or  "  light  company  "  of  each  regiment.  Capt.  Vande- 
bergh's  company  was  included  in  a  battalion  under  Col.  Philip 
Van  Cortlaudt.  Gen.  Lafayette  was  at  great  expense  to  equip 
this  corp  which  was  pronounced  as  fine  a  body  of  men  as  was  ever 
formed.  They  were  in  neat  uniform,  and  each  soldier  wore  a 
leather  helmet,  with  a  crest  of  horsehair,  and  carried  a  fusil. 
The  General  took  command  August  7th,  and  at  three  o'clock  the 
next  morning  the  army  marched,  with  the  light  infantry  in  the 
advance,  and  proceeded  to  Orangetown,  where  and  in  the  vicinity 
it  lay  for  some  time,  in  readiness,  should  Sir  Henry  Clinton  leave 

on  an  expedition  eastward  or  southward,  of  which  there  were  in- 
dications, to  strike  a  vigorous  blow  at  New  York.  Soon  after 
occurred  the  foul  treason  of  Arnold,  and  the  capture,  trial  and 
execution  of  Major  Andre.  The  light  infantry  were  at  Tappan, 

October  2d,  when  this  last  sad  tragedy  took  place.*  Lafayette 
felt  great  pride  in  this  corps,  and  was  at  infinite  pains  to  perfect 
its  discipline,  which  by  the  assiduity  of  the  officers  he  brought  to 

*GEN.  LAFAYETTE,  upon  his  last  visit  to  this  country,  arrived  at 
Staten  Island,  on  Sunday.  August  15,  1824.  Capt.  Van  Arsdale  had  a 
grandson  born  on  the  same  day.  The  next  morning  on  landing  at  the 
Battery,  the  General  was  received  by  the  Veteran  Corps,  and  passing 
along  the  line,  took  each  member  cordially  by  the  hand.  Coming  to 
Capt.  Van  Arsdale,  he  looked  him  intently  in  the  face,  as  if  he  knew 
him,  yet  was  not  quite  sure.  But  the  instant  the  Captain  alluded  to  his 
service  in  the  Light  Infantry  Corps,  the  General's  countenance  lightened 
up,  a.nd  there  was  a  full  recognition.  "Van  Arsdale,''  said  he  with 
emotion,  as  if  the  glorious  past  was  flushing  his  memory,  "Van  Arsdale, 
I  remember  you  well!"  Going  home,  pleased  beyond  measure,  that  the 
General  should  recollect  him,  after  a  lapse  of  foity-four  years,  Capt.  Van 
Arsdale  went  to  see  his  little  grandson,  and  being  desired  to  give  him 
a  name,  called  him  John  Lafayette.  This  was  the  late  Col.  J.  Lafayette 
liiker,  of  the  62d  New  York  Volunteers,  who  hi  defense  of  the  flag  for 
which  his  graudsire  sacrificed  so  much,  nobly  laid  down  his  life  at  the 
battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  May  31,  1862. 


50 


high  proficiency.  But  the  campaign  passed  without  affording 
him  an  opportunity  to  perform  any  signal  service.  The  corps 
was  broken  up  on  November  28th  for  the  winter,  and  the  com- 
panies returned  to  their  respective  regiments. 

On  December  4th  the  New  York  line  sailed  for  Albany  to  go 
into  winter  quarters,  but,  the  levies  which  had  joined  it,  being 
discharged  by  order  of  Gen.  Washington,  because  of  a  scarcity 
of  provisions  and  clothing,  Van  Arsdale  took  leave  of  his  regi- 
ment, December  15th,  much  to  his  disappointment,  having  enlisted 
for  the  war.  But  he  had  won  the  favor  of  Col.  Willett,  who 
was  pleased  to  say  that  he  was  "  a  good  soldier  and  attended  to 
his  duties."  Except  a  small  gratuity  from  the  State,  of  "  Twen- 
ty Dollars  of  the  Bills  of  the  new  emission,"  received  when  he 
joined  the  5th  regiment,  he  returned  without  any  remuneration 
for  his  services  in  this  campaign  ;  but  with  a  patriotism  uncooled, 
and  rising  superior  to  mercenary  motives,  the  winter  recess  was 
no  sooner  past  when  Van  Arsdale  again  joined  the  levies  raised  for 
the  defense  of  the  State,  under  Col.  Albert  Pawling.  One  of  the 
captains  was  John  Burnet,  of  Little  Britain,  who  had  been  in  the 
battle  at  Fort  Montgomery,  Van  Arsdale  entered  his  company, 
April  25th,  1781,  and  was  given  the  position  of  sergeant,  with 
ten  dollars  a  month  pay,  which  was  an  advance  of  two  dollars. 
He  was  posted  much  of  the  time  on  the  frontier  of  Ulster  County, 
where  the  levies  were  billeted  on  the  families,  a  few  in  a  house, 
to  protect  them  from  Indians.  These  had  done  but  little  mis- 
chief in  this  section  of  the  State,  since  the  crushing  blow  inflicted 
upon  them  by  Sullivan's  expedition.  The  principal  outrage  had 
been  committed  tha,  last  year  (1780),  when  a  small  party  under 
Shank's  Ben,  on  September  17th,  attacked  the  house  of  Col. 
Johannes  Jansen,  in  Shawangunk,  intending  to  capture  him,  but, 
failing  in  this,  seized  and  carried  off  a  young  woman  named  Han- 
nah Goetschius,  and  whom,  with  one  John  Mack  and  his  daughter, 
Elsie,  they  murdered  and  scalped  in  the  woods  ! 

But  the  present  year  witnessed  a  more  formidable  invasion. 
Col.  Pawling  had  sent  out  Silas  Bouck  and  Philip  Hine,  on  a 
scout,  to  watch  for  the  enemy.  Near  the  Neversink  River,  they 
discovered  a  large  body  of  Indians  a»d  Tories  approaching  ;  but, 
then  starting  back  to  give  the  alarm,  were  intercepted  by  Indian 
runners  and  captured.  The  settlements  were  therefore  unpre- 
pared for  a  visit ;  when  early  on  Sunday  morning,  August  12th, 
this  savage  horde  stole  into  Wawarsing  and  began  an  attack  upon 
the  stone  fort.  Being  repulsed  with  loss,  they  departed  to  plun- 
der and  burn  a  dozen  scattered  dwellings  ;  many  others  being 
saved  by  the  bravery  of  the  levies  quartered  in  them.  Pursued 
by  Col.  Pawling  as  soon  as  he  could  collect  a  force,  they  had  time 
to  escape  ;  but,  on  September  22d,  returned  again  to  burn  Wa- 


51 


warsing.  On  this  occasion,  also,  they  first  attempted  to  surprise 
the  fort,  but  an  alarm  being  given  by  the  sentinel  firing  his  gun, 
the  garrison  were  warned  and  the  inhabitants  fled  from  their 
houses  and  secured  themselves.  The  enemy,  again  repulsed  with 
a  number  slain,  proceeded  to  pillage  and  burn  the  place.  Capt. 
Burnet  was  then  stationed  at  a  blockhouse  at  "Pinebush  (in  Mom- 
backus,  now  town  of  Rochester),  whence  he  and  Capt.  Kortright 
marched  towards  Wawarsing,  but,  not  being  in  sufficient  force 
to  give  battle,  turned  back.  Soon  Col.  Pawling  arrived  and  they 
pursued  the  enemy  about  40  miles,  being  out  seven  days,  but 
they  could  not  overtake  them.  There  was  a  private  in  Van 
Arsdale's  company  named  George  Anderson,  who  three  years 
before  had  performed  an  exploit  which  marked  him  as  a  hero. 
He  and  Jacob  Osterhout  were  seized  one  evening  in  a  tavern  at 
Lackawack,  by  some  Indians  and  Tories,  and  carried  off  towards 
Niagara.  When  within  a  day's  march  of  that  place,  Anderson, 
at  midnight,  effected  their  release,  and  with  his  own  hand  toma- 
hawked the  three  sleeping  Indians  who  then  had  themjn  charge  ; 
then,  each  taking  a  gun,  provisions,  etc. ,  set  out  with  all  speed 
for  home,  where  they  arrived  exhausted  and  almost  starved,  after 
seventeen  days.  The  State  gave  Anderson  £100  "for  his  valor." 
Van  Arsdale  used  to  relate  this  adventure,  whence  has  come  the 
mistaken  idea  that  it  happened  with  himself.* 

On  Dec.  19th,  Van  Arsdale's  service  ended,  and  he  returned 
home  to  spend  the  winter  ;  with  a  good  conscience,  doubtless, 
but  still  with  empty  pockets  !  Yet  all  looked  bright  and  hopeful, 
great  success  had  crowned  our  arms  in  other  quarters  ;  the  proud 
Cornwallis  had  been  humbled,  and  his  splendid  army  captured. 
On  the  opening  of  1782,  measures  were  concerted  to  follow  up 
these  successes  ;  the  army  was  maintained,  and  a  body  of  levies 
were  also  raised  in  this  State  to  afford  the  usual  protection  to  our 
frontiers.  In  these  Van  Arsdale  enlisted  on  the  27th  of  April,  in 
the  company  of  Capt.  John  L.  Hardenburgh,  of  Col.  Frederick 

*Soon  after  Anderson's  escape,  the  Indians,  in  retaliation,  as  was 
believed,  burnt  a  house  and  several  barns  near  Pinebush  (in  Moin- 
backus),  murdered  two  men,  and  carried  off  a  third,  named  Baker, 
who  was  never  heard  of  again,  and  was  probably  reserved  for  the 
worst  tortures.  Two  or  three  hundred  troops  then  lay  at  a  fort  on 
Honk  Hill,  under  Lt.  Col.  Newkerk,  of  McClaughry's  regiment,  and 
volunteers  being  called  for,  to  go  out  and  intercept  the  Indians  who 
were  supposed  to  be  few  in  number,  Lieut.  John  Graham  offered  himself, 
and  set  out  with  twenty  man.  At  the  Chestnut  Woods  (now  Grahams- 
ville,  Sullivan  Co.,)  they  lay  in  wait  for  the  wiley  foe,  but  were  them- 
selves drawn  into  an  ambush,  and  only  two  escaped  to  tell  the  sad 
tragedy.  Lieut.  Graham  fell  at  the  first  fire.  This  happened  on  Sep- 
tember 6th,  1778.  Three  hundred  men  went  out  and  buried  the  dead 
where  they  fell.  They  had  all  been  scalped.  Graham  was  an  uncle  to 
the  lady  whom  Van  Arsdale  afterwards  married,  and  a  half-brother  to 
Wm.  Bodle,  Esq.,  before  mentioned. 


52 


Weissenfels'  regiment.  Five  days  after,  he  was  made  sergeant, 
and  served  as  such  during  that  campaign,  holding  the  place  of 
first  or  orderly  sergeant  from  Sept.  24th.  But  the  season  passed 
in  inactivity,  and  the  magazine  of  provisions  at  M  arbletown  being 
exhausted,  the  levies  wera  disbanded,  and  on  December  28th, 
Van  Arsdale  received  an  honorable  and  final  discharge  from  the 
army.  He  laid  away  his  musket  with  a  lighter  heart  than  on  any 
former  occasion.  True  he  and  his  fellow  soldiers  had  received  no 
pay  during  the  last  three  campaigns!  But  he  had  escaped  the 
thousand  perils  of  the  service  and  was  permitted  to  see 
this  grevious  war  practically  closed  and  independence  secured. 
Recompense  ample,  yet  ihe  State  was  just  to  its  brave  defenders, 
and  soon  afterwards  paid  them  for  this  service,  and  also  those  who 
had  been  prisoners  of  war,  for  their  time  from  the  day  they  were 
captured  to  the  day  of  their  return  from  captivity.* 

There  were  more  times  than  one,  Van  Arsdale  being  at  home, 
when  the  farmhouse  at  Neelytown,  upon  sudden  news  of  a  victory, 
echoed  with  cheers  long  and  loud,  and  witnessed  a  lively  jig, 
enacted  then  and  there  impromptu,  with  all  his  early  zest  for  the 
dance  ;  but  how  buoyant  were  his  spirits  now,  the  bitterness  of 
the  struggle  being  past  and  the  final  victory  achieved,  while  the 
future  seemed  radiant  with  promise. 

The  ensuing  winter,  spent  with  his  brother,  was  one  of  unusual 
gayety,  and  at  a  social  party  given  by  his  old  friend,  Alexander 
Bodle,  then  married  and  living  at  La  Grange,  he  first  met  with 
his  future  wife,  Mary  Crawford,  a  most  amiable  girl,  six  years  his 
junior.  Escorting  her  home  in  his  sleigh,  the  acquaintance 
ripened — the  bans  were  published  in  the  church  at  Goshen,  of 
which  her  father;  David  Crawford,  was  an  elder  ;  and  the  Kev. 
Nathan  Ker  married  them  at  the  hospitable  farmhouse,  in  Walkill, 
on  the  16th  of  June,  1783.  Van  Arsdale  now  left  his  brother's, 
where  he  had  experienced  a  kindness  almost  parental,  and  with 
his  bride,  who  ever  proved  herself  a  discreet  companion,,  went  to 
keeping  house  in  New  Windsor.  He  had  found  an  occupation 
suited  to  his  robust  and  active  temperament.  The  owner  of  the 
Black  Prince,  a  vessel  used  during  the  war  as  a  gunboat,  but  now 
fitted  up  for  the  more  peaceful  service  of  conveying  passengers 
and  freight  on  the  Hudson,  wanted  Van  Arsdale  as  a  partner. 
The  latter  assented,  he  always  loved  the  water  ;  it  was  moreover 


*  He  was  entitled  to  a  "Soldier's  Eight,"  (500  acres),  in  the  unappro- 
priated lands  of  the  State,  which  was  promised  each  recruit  joining  the 
Levies  in  1781,  to  be  given  him  as  soon  af'er  his  term  of  service  closed, 
as  the  survey  could  be  safely  made  ;  but  it  is  traditionary  in  the  family, 
that  thinking  it  of  little  value,  he  neglected  to  secure  it  within  the  time 
prescribed  by  law,  three  years  after  the  war  should  close.  Eights  sold 
for  only  $50,  after  the  war. 


53 


an  opportunity  to  begin  life  respectably  with  his  Polly,  fora  living 
was  not  so  easily  secured  just  after  the  war,  when  the  country 
was  impoverished,  money  scarce  and  times  hard,  while  he  saw 
many  of  his  old  comrades  in  arms  wanting  employment.  So  he 
donned  the  tarpaulin  and  sailor  jacket,  and  entered  on  a  calling 
in  which  he  was  engaged  when  the  incident  c5  November  25th, 
1783,  occurred;  and  at  which  he  became  a  veteran,  sustaining  the 
character  of  a  safe  and  skillful  captain,  and  an  honest  and  noble- 
hearted  man.  Affable  to  and  careful  of  the  passengers  who 
patronized  his  packet ;  this  in  itself  was  an  advertisement,  and 
many  making  their  annual  visit  to  the  City,  either  for  pleasure  or 
to  sell  their  dairies  or  other  farm  produce,  or  to  purchase  goods 
(for  the  day  of  railroads  was  not  yet),  much  preferred  sailing 
with  "  Captain  John. "  His  passenger  list  was  full  on  the  trip 
preceding  Evacuation  Day,  but  of  that  memorable  day  we  need 
add  nothing ;  and  the  sequel  of  Capt.  Van  Arsdale's  life  will  be 
briefly  told. 

After  four  years  the  Captain  closed  his  business  relations  with 
New  Windsor,  and  removed  to  New  York,  taking  command  of  the 
"Democrat"  for  Col.  Henry  Rutgers,  aud  where,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  brief  residences  on  Long  Island  and  in  Westchester  County, 
before  his  final  return  to  the  City  in  1811,  he  made  his  home  for  the 
rest  of  his  life.  He  was  granted  the  freedom  of  the  City,  April 
1st,  1789  ;  and  shortly  after  engaged  in  a  different  calling,  but  five 
years  later  resumed  the  old  one,  and  successively  sailed  (some- 
times as  part  owner),  the  Deborah — named  for  his  mother — the 
Packet,  Neptune,  Rising-Sun,  Ambition,  Venus  and  Hunter.  It 
was  while  sailing  the  Hunter,  during  the  last  war  with  England, 
that  in  coming  out  of  Mamaroneck  Harbor  (September  17th, 
1813),  he  narrowly  escaped  capture  by  one  of  the  enemy's  vessels; 
a  market  boat  which  they  had  seized  and  manned,  to  more  easily 
entrap  ours.  The  Captain  thought  they  acted  strangely,  but  dis- 
covered their  real  character  only  when  they  bore  down  and 
rounded  to,  with  intent  to  board  him.  But  the  Captain  was  too 
quick  for  them.  Ordering  the  passengers  below,  he  instantly 
tacked  about,  the  bullets  now  flying  thick  around  him,  and  shout- 
ing to  the  foe  to  fire  away,  it  was  not  the  first  time  they  had 
wasted  powder  on  him,  he  was  soon  beyond  their  reach,  and  got 
in  safely,  with  no  other  damage  than  sails  riddled,  and  a  few  holes 
in  the  hull.  The  people  ashore,  having  heard  the  firing  and 
alarmed  for  the  Captain's  safety,  were  overjoyed,  and  came  out  in 
small  boats  to  help  him  in.  There  were  several  little  incidents 
connected  with  this  adventure.  A  brave  woman  on  board,  a  Mrs. 
Wallace,  insisted  upon  rowing  with  a  sweep,  till  fairly  forced  to 
desist  and  go  below.  The  cabin-boy  when  told  to  go  down,  de- 
murred, saying,  "Captain,  when  your  head  is  off,  I'll  take  the 


54 


helm."  A  few  days  bafora,  the  Captain  going  into  the  country 
to.  buy  produce,  had  told  his  son  David  to  keel  up  the  vessel  and 
and  give  it  a  coat  of  tallow,  which  preserved  the  timbers,  kept  her 
tight  and  helped  her  sailing.  David  obeyed  orders,  but  so 
thoroughly  and  well,  that  he  ran  up  a  big  score  for  tallow  at  the 
store,  to  the  astonishment  of  Ms  father  when  he  came  to  see  the 
bill,  and  who  gave  David  a  round  reprimand  for  his  extravagance. 
But  after  the  trial  of  speed  with  the  enemy,  "David,"  said  the 
Captain,  patting  his  son  on  the  shoulder,  "  we  hadn't  a  bit  too 
much  tallow  on  to-day  !" 

Speaking  of  David,  he  was  in  one  respect  "  a  chip  of  the  old 
block,"  he  relished  a  joke  next  the  best.  And  so  it  happened  on 
an  occasion,  that  the  schooner  lay  at  Cow  Harbor,  loading  with 
wood,  when  a  Montauk  Indian  came  aboard,  asking  a-  passage  to 
New  York.  Now  the  Captain  had  a  kind  heart ;  but  had  sworn 
eternal  enmity  to  the  whole  race  of  aborigines.  His  ears  filled 
with  recitals  of  Indian  outrages,  when  scouting  on  the  frontiers ; 
an  eye-witness  of  the  cruelties  inflicted  on  peaceable  communi- 
ties by  the  firebrand  and  the  tomahawk  ;  yes,  his  soul  harrowed 
at  the  sight  of  innocent  victims,  as  they  lay  in  their  gore,  mur- 
dered and  scalped  ;  if  there  was  on  earth  an  object  at  sight  of 
which  his  very  blood  boiled,  it  was  an  Indian  !  David  knew  it 
well,  yet  the  young  rogue  sent  the  Indian  into  the  cabin  to  see 
the  Captain.  "  What  do  you  want  ?  "  asked  the  latter  gruffly. 
"  To  go  to  New  York,  Captain,"  said  the  poor  native.  "  Get  out 
of  this,  you  Indian  dog,"  was  his  only  answer,  while  the  Cap- 
tain's cudgel  at  his  heels,  as  he  scrambled  up  the  companionway, 
sent  the  applicant  off  at  a  much  livelier  gait  than  "an  Indian 
trot."  But  then  it  was  that  the  joke  turned  on  David,  when  he 
had  to  meet  the  scathing  question, — How  he  dared  to  send  an 
Indian  into  the  cabin  to  him  ! 

But  we  said  the  Captain  himself  enjoyed  a  joke.  In  1821,  he 
and  Squire  Daniel  Biker  took  a  friendly  tour,  in  the  latter's  gig, 
as  far  as  Orange  County  ;  Mr.  V.  to  see  his  kin  Ired  and  acquaint- 
ances, and  one  of  his  daughters  being  also  there  on  a  visit.  Con- 
cluding to  go  as  far  as  Monticello,  they  set  out  from  Blooming- 
burgh,  the  Squire  and  Deborah  in  the  gig,  and  the  Captain  on 
horseback.  Shortly  before  reaching  the  Neversink  Biver,  the 
latter  stopped  to  have  a  shoe  set,  but  told  the  Squire  to  drive  on 
and  he  would  soou  follow.  Now  the  Squire  was  a  spruce  widower 
of  fifty,  but  Deborah  just  out  of  her  teens.  So  on  they  went 
reaching  the  toll-gate  in  high  glee  and  at  a  lively  pace.  The  in- 
quisitive gate-keeper  had  noticed  the  speed  at  which  they  rode, 
and  overheard  a  tell-tale  remark  let  fall  by  the  Squire, that  by  driv- 
ing fast  they  might  reach  the  Neversink  bridge  before  the  Captain 
could  catch  them  !  Soon  the  Captain  arrived  in  seeming  haste, 


55 


and  reigning  his  horse  at  the  gate,  inquired  of  the  keeper  if  he 
had  seen  a  runaway  couple  that  way  ;  an  old  man  eloping  with 
his  daughter.  "  Yes,  yes,"  said  the  man,  "they  just  passed,  and 
were  hurrying,  to  reach  the  bridge  before  you  could  catch  them  ; 
but  you'll  do  it  if  you're  only  smart."  "  Quick,  quick,  hand  me 
my  change,"  said  the  Captain,  and  spurring  his  horse,  on  he  went, 
almost  bursting  before  he  could  give  vent  to  his  laughter  ;  while 
the  gate-keeper  ran  in  to  tell  about  the  wonderful  elopement. 
But  on  their  return,  there  was  a  hearty  laugh  all  round,  as  the 
gate-keeper  took  in  the  situation,  and  the  Captain,  with  a  smirk, 
remarked,  "You  see,  I  caught  the  runaways."  The  joke  spread, 
to  the  merriment  of  all,  but  none  enjoyed  telling  it  more  than 
the  Captain. 

In  1816,  having  quit  his  old  occupation  the  previous  year,  and 
being  now  sixty  years  of  age,  Capt.  Van  Arsdale  was  appointed 
Wood  Inspector  in  the  First  Ward,  a  post  he  held  for  twenty 
years ;  and  which  he  had  previously  enjoyed  for  a  short  time,  in 
1812,  under  a  commission  from  De  Witt  Clinton,  then  Mayor. 
Daily  at  Peck  Slip,  he  was  seen,  -with  his  measuring  rod  in 
hand,  busy  at  his  avocation ;  till  "Uncle  John"  became  one 
of  the  fixed  features  of  the  locality.  He  continued  here,  indeed, 
till  the  use  of  coal  had  so  far  supplanted  that  of  wood,  that  busi- 
ness dwindled  to  nothing,  and  he  resigned  his  office  in  disgust. 
He  was  made  a  member  of  the  "Independent  Veteran  Corps  of 
Heavy  Artillery,"  Oct.  6th,  1813.  This  Corps  was  organized  for 
the  special  defense  of  the  City  of  New  York,  and  for  the  whole 
period  Mr.  Van  Arsdale  was  connected  with  it  (except  a  short  in- 
terval), was  commanded  by  Capt.  George  W.  Chapman.  Their 
uniform  was  a  navy  blue  coat  and  pantaloons,  white  vest,  black 
stock,  a  black  feather  suimounted  red,  black  hat,  and  cockade, 
bootees  and  side  arms  yellow  mounted.  Capt.  Van  Arsdale  took 
great  interest  in  the  coips,  rarely  if  ever  missed  a  parade,  and  in 
1814,  for  over  three  months,  ending  December  4th,  was  in  active 
service  guarding  the  Arsenal  in  Elm  street,  a  plot  being  suspected 
to  blow  up  the  building  with  its  14,000  stand  of  arms.  On  Nov. 
25th.  1835,  he  was  promoted  to  the  next  position  to  the  command- 
ant, that  of  First  Captain-Lieutenant. 

Capt.  Van  Arsdale  had  now  reached  his  eighty-first  year,  he 
had  survived  his  companion  four  years,  his  mental  faculties  were 
still  good,  but  his  strength  was  failing  ;  yet  he  attended  to  busi- 
ness till  near  the  last.  But  borne  down  by  the  weight  of  years, 
a  short  illness  closed  the  scene,  and  the  veteran  gently  passed 
away,  August  14th  1836,  at  his  residence  134  Delancey  street.  He 
was  interred  the  next  day  in  the  cemetery  in  First  street,  with 
the  honors  of  war,  by  the  corps  in  which  he  had  held  command  ; 
the  Napoleon  Cadets,  Capt.  Charles,  acting  as  a  guard  of  honor, 


56 


and  a  concourse  of  citizens  paying  their  last  respects.     His  re- 
mains now  rest  in  Cypress  Hills  Cemetery.* 

In  person  Mr.  Van  Arsdale  was  of  medium  height,  stoutly 
built,  erect,  and  elastic  of  foot  even  till  old  age.  Always  neat  in 
his  person  and  dress  ;  we  recall  his  good-natured  chiding,  when, 
an  urchin,  running  in  to  see  Grandpa,  heated  from  our  play,  and 
collar,  boylike,  well  sweated  down  ; — "  Go  home,  you  little  rascal,'* 
he  would  say,  "  You've  no  collar  to  your  shirt."  A  democrat  of 
the  old  school,  he  was  pronounced  in  his  opinions,  and  no  way 
sparing  of  opponents.  It  was  in  the  autumn  of  1834,  that  a 
friend  asked  him  hoAv  the  party  which  that  year  took  the  name  of 
Whig,  got  it.  "  Got  it,"  said  the  old  man,  his  face  kindling  with 
honest  indignation,  ' '  Smiley,  they  got  it  as  their  fathers,  the 
Cowboys  of  the  Revolution,  got  their  beef, — they  stole  it!"  The 
Captain  was  then  visiting  friends  in  Sullivan  County,  and  was 
riding  out  to  see  his  old  war-chum  Sears.  They  met  on  the  road, 
when  Mr.  V.  springing  from  the  wagon,  Sears  instantly  recognized 
him,  and  overcome  with  emotion,  threw  his  arms  around  him  and 
burst  into  tears  !  How  flushed  up  the  faded  memories  of  camp 
and  battle  scenes,  and  dismal  prison  life  ;  verily  a  picture  for  the 
limner.  At  this  time  also,  the  Captain  had  the  pleasure  ol'vloll 
ing  Mr.  Hugh  Lindsey,  who  was  captured  with  him  at  Fort 
Montgomery  ;  he  died  shortly  after  Van  Arsdale's  return.  But 
we  have  done.  The  kind  father, — filial  affection  still  cherishes 
his  memory ;  the  true  friend, — alas,  but  few  survive  to  embalm 
the  friendship  so  long  sundered  ;  the  worthy  citizen,  whose  heart 
was  ever  open  to  the  poor  and  suffering  around  him, — let  it  suf- 
fice that  the  savor  of  good  deeds  is  immortal  !  But  more  fitting 
to  close  this  imperfect  tribute  to  his  worth  are  the  apt  words  of 
the  burial  orders,  recalling  the  salient  fact  in  Capt.  Van  Arsdale's 
life, — "  A  tried  Soldier  of  the  Eevolution !" 

*  CAPT.  VAN  ABSDALE  had  five  children  who  reached  adult  years  ; 
three  of  whom,  his  only  son  before  named,  and  two  daughters,  yet 
survive.  His  eldest  daughter,  married  to  the  late  Alderman  James 
Biker,  and  long  since  deceased,  was  the  mother  of  the  writer  of  this 
sketch,  also  of  Col.  JV  Lafayette  Kiker,  named  in  a  preceding  note; 
another  daughter  yet  survives  her  husband,  the  late  estimable  John 
Phillips ;  another  is  the  widow  of  Jacob  G.  Theall,  and  mother  of  Mrs. 
Dr.  Jared  G.  Baldwin,  of  New  York,  and  a  fourth  daughter  married  the 
la  e,  much  respected,  Capt.  Andrew  Dorgaii,  of  Mobile,  whose  sons 
Augustus  P.  and  Lymaii  Dorgaii,  are  well  known  merchants  at  that 
place.  (See  Annals  of  Newtown,  p.  307.) 


MR.  DAVID  VAN   ARSDALE. 


This  venerable  citizen,  son  of  Oapt.  John  Van  Arsdale,  and  to 
whom  some  humorous  references  have  been  made  in  these  pages, 
has  suddenly  ended  his  pilgrimage,  as  our  last  sheet  was  passing 
from  the  press.  He  died  yesterday,  (November  14th,)  at  the  age 
of  87  years.  His  decease  on  the  very  eve  of  the  Centennial,  in 
the  observance  of  which  he  was  expected  to  take  a  special  part 
causes  the  deeper  regret ;  but  we  forbear  remark,  while  the  City 
Press  is  teeming  with  obituaries  expressive  of  respect  for  his 
memory. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REG  ONALLIBRARV TACjjJJT 


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